It may not have been that long ago for some, but those 10 words were the beginning of a permanent change to entertainment and pop culture.
Fans who saw the first film when it was just called "Star Wars" are now sharing the expanded universe with their children and grandchildren.
Flash forward to 2020 with not only nine main “Star Wars” films (or maybe only three if a fan only admits the original trilogy exists), but also two films expanding the story -- “Solo” and “Rogue One,” -- television shows, music and of course, tons and tons of merchandise.
The latest culture change introduced by the “Star Wars" creative teams -- The Child, or as everyone calls him, Baby Yoda from the Disney+ show “The Mandalorian."
There are also fully immersive lands at the Disney Parks in Anaheim, California, and Orlando, Florida, where the residents of Black Spire Outpost on Batuu can wish visitors to Galaxy's Edge, "Bright Suns," when trying to say good morning as you sip on blue milk before making your own droid or lightsaber or jumping into the cockpit, making your childhood dreams a reality as you pilot the Millennium Falcon.
Bright Suns ☀️ from Star Wars: #GalaxysEdge at @Disneyland and @WaltDisneyWorld Resort. The Force will be with you, always: https://t.co/kaQTO9LzLl #DisneyMagicMoments ✨ pic.twitter.com/r6o4o0UFul
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) May 4, 2020
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Batuu is closed, theaters are dark and malls are silent. But you can still celebrate “May the 4th" from the comfort of your own home.
First, you have to outfit yourself and your home for a movie marathon.
For the collectors out there, Funko has a line of its popular POP! figures and shirts available for purchase and preorder.
For kids, or kids at heart, Lego has a series of kits that span the gamut of prices from an economic $9.99 for a Kylo Ren Shuttle Microfighter to the expensive $499 Death Star and the $799 Millennium Falcon.
To prepare for a long day watching all of the films, you'll need snacks, so there's an R2-D2 popcorn popper, or if you lean to the Dark Side instead of the Rebels, there's a Death Star one too.
To quench your thirst, the "Star Wars" souvenir coke bottles that are normally about $6 each at Disney are popping up at stores in Alabama for about $6.99 a case, USA Today reported.
Here is the stack of them sitting in the store pic.twitter.com/lIZ6zX5P2i
— EscapedStitch (@escapedstitch) April 27, 2020
You got the stuff; now for the movies.
If you subscribe to Disney+, all of the Skywalker saga films are now streaming in one place. You also can find "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," "Star Wars: Rebels" and the various "Lego Star Wars" series. If you missed it when it premiered, "The Mandalorian" is still available as is "Disney Gallery: Star Wars: The Mandalorian" which gives a behind the scenes look at the series.
One movie that isn’t readily available is the “Star Wars Holiday Special,” but unofficial copies can be found on YouTube.
If you want to host a watch party on Zoom, you can hold costume contests or even play a game of “Name the Star Wars” tune.
Click here for more ways to celebrate.
About the Author