:00:00. > :00:15.one of the most eagerly awaited films of the year.
:00:16. > :00:23.Welcome to a special edition of Talking Movies, devoted to what for
:00:24. > :00:31.many has been most eagerly awaited movie of 2015, Star Wars The Force
:00:32. > :00:36.Awakens. We report on the launch in Los Angeles.
:00:37. > :00:41.Who came and what they said. This isn't about recapturing what we did
:00:42. > :00:43.before. It is about making that jumped to hyperspace into the
:00:44. > :00:50.future. How does the new picture rate, what
:00:51. > :00:55.to critics make of it? Everybody seems to love this movie.
:00:56. > :01:01.We also go back to the origins of Star Wars and the cultural impacts
:01:02. > :01:07.on George Lucas when he was created. -- when he created it.
:01:08. > :01:10.I want to bring Star Wars intimate everyday life.
:01:11. > :01:15.And white Hollywood was never quite the same again after Star Wars made
:01:16. > :01:22.its mark. And two actors at the forefront of
:01:23. > :01:25.the new film and be explorer Star Wars' long-standing British
:01:26. > :01:33.connection. All that and more on this special
:01:34. > :01:39.Star Wars edition of Talking Movies. The force is very much with us. Star
:01:40. > :01:43.Wars is currently viewable at cinemas across the planet, except in
:01:44. > :01:48.China where it will be released next month. At the intense, some would
:01:49. > :01:57.say absurd, levels of speculation, we can tell you everything we know
:01:58. > :02:04.about Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It was given a massive premiere in
:02:05. > :02:08.Los Angeles, the first... Fans have been waiting for days to
:02:09. > :02:13.see this extravaganza. The fiction Star Wars act as word beer including
:02:14. > :02:18.Mark Hamill who played Luke Skywalker.
:02:19. > :02:23.He cautioned to keep it all in perspective. It is only a movie and
:02:24. > :02:27.if you think you are going to go into the movie and recapture your
:02:28. > :02:31.childhood, you're setting yourself for disappointment.
:02:32. > :02:41.The new film is set several decades after the return of -- the end of
:02:42. > :02:44.the Return of the Jedi. Rey gets involved in efforts to find Luke
:02:45. > :02:48.Skywalker, all the while saving the galaxy from the villainous first
:02:49. > :02:52.order. There are certain things you will
:02:53. > :02:56.see in this movie that feel incredibly familiar and will be
:02:57. > :03:00.things that feel new. This is just the next chapter. So you want to see
:03:01. > :03:06.and experience new places, new characters. But it is also a
:03:07. > :03:11.continuum and the idea was with the number of years having pasta that
:03:12. > :03:17.this movie be a bridge that uses the things that have come before, the
:03:18. > :03:21.history, the characters, the world, and use those elements as the DNA
:03:22. > :03:25.for telling a news story. The Force Awakens puts a new
:03:26. > :03:35.spotlight on a new generation of characters and actors. There is
:03:36. > :03:45.Finn, a storm trooper played by British actor. John Boyega feels at
:03:46. > :03:49.home in his character's shoes. It is second nature, it feels muscle
:03:50. > :03:56.memory. It feels good to walk in his shoes. I know that the majority of
:03:57. > :03:59.fans will love it. And Daisy Ridley is impressed by the
:04:00. > :04:04.female power in the film. It is wonderful that women are
:04:05. > :04:09.represented as much as men. It doesn't happen enough yet but it is
:04:10. > :04:14.wonderful to be part of a felon that it is happening in.
:04:15. > :04:26.Full Mac is benefiting from masses of fan love and publicity. Some even
:04:27. > :04:31.try to get a quote from you order. Fans couldn't get enough and the
:04:32. > :04:34.verdict from the first to see it was positive.
:04:35. > :04:37.It was amazing, it was everything we had been waiting for.
:04:38. > :04:42.You want to be disappointed. Critics have been equally buoyant. I
:04:43. > :04:46.think the initial critical responses over the moon. Everyone seems to
:04:47. > :04:51.love this movie. Working at the first screening, everybody seemed
:04:52. > :04:54.positive. Going into it, people have memories of the prequels and what a
:04:55. > :05:01.disappointment that was for people and critics alike. The bottom line
:05:02. > :05:05.is that this is a return to what George Lucas created in the first
:05:06. > :05:06.trilogy and much closer in spirit to those films so that registered with
:05:07. > :05:10.critics. You can detect that it has been
:05:11. > :05:15.lovingly put together but it also has the hallmarks of a carefully
:05:16. > :05:19.calibrated corporate product. Disney and worry. The Force Awakens has
:05:20. > :05:23.effectively rebooted one of cinema's greatest franchises and handed the
:05:24. > :05:31.reins over to a new generation of talented Star Wars actors. Star Wars
:05:32. > :05:35.is in just a film franchise. It is beloved by legions of fans around
:05:36. > :05:38.the world who have turned it into a merchandising phenomenon. The
:05:39. > :05:42.franchise makes more money through merchandising than tickets sales.
:05:43. > :05:46.What is interesting the Star Wars is that the merchandising helps to tell
:05:47. > :05:57.the story. And how female fans are among the franchise's most ardent.
:05:58. > :06:05.The merchandising of the Star Wars franchise has resulted in over $20
:06:06. > :06:10.billion in sales since the first 's film was released in 1977. Now with
:06:11. > :06:15.hype at an all-time high, it is expected that could reach 5 billion
:06:16. > :06:19.in sales in the next few years alone.
:06:20. > :06:23.I am so inspired by Star Wars. It is a story of hope, and overcoming
:06:24. > :06:32.evil. I want to bring Star Wars intimate everyday life.
:06:33. > :06:36.Ashley is the voice of on the television animation series and a
:06:37. > :06:40.super fan in her own right. I have a Star Wars jacket. When I
:06:41. > :06:46.put it on, it is more than a fashion statement. I feel very empowered. I
:06:47. > :06:50.feel like I am putting on Star Wars and so throughout that day I am
:06:51. > :06:55.going to be able to fight off evil and just fight for good and I think
:06:56. > :07:04.that is what merchandise brings to fans. It is really empowering.
:07:05. > :07:08.Before Star Wars came along, film merchandising that exist. Charlie
:07:09. > :07:15.Chaplin argue blue launched the concept of products and toys related
:07:16. > :07:19.to his character in the 1920s. Disney followed suit but Star Wars
:07:20. > :07:23.went deeper, extending the story is any series of novels and comics.
:07:24. > :07:32.With guidance from what is called the story group, who helped in the
:07:33. > :07:37.original franchise, they have helped plot out the developments in the new
:07:38. > :07:41.film. They frequently appear on the New York Times bestseller list.
:07:42. > :07:46.The characters and stories are so flexible that it can appeal to a
:07:47. > :07:51.mass group of people. Annie stall is an associate director
:07:52. > :07:56.I have been a Star Wars fan all my I have been a Star Wars fan all my
:07:57. > :08:02.life. I love the clothes and the design and the artwork.
:08:03. > :08:06.She perched designs for Star Wars products to Lucasfilm and they
:08:07. > :08:12.accepted them, meaning you can see her work on various items. Star Wars
:08:13. > :08:17.is unique in allowing that kind of fancy back but for a long time
:08:18. > :08:21.e-mail fans felt like they were not being represented in Star Wars
:08:22. > :08:38.merchandise that female fans. Star Wars a trailblazer for ...
:08:39. > :08:46.The idea that Star Wars is a boys club is being rapidly dispelled. Not
:08:47. > :08:50.only by the makers of the films but also the producers of merchandise.
:08:51. > :08:56.As a little kid, I never had the sense that it was a boys club. Me
:08:57. > :09:05.and my dad and my brother played together. I never felt that it
:09:06. > :09:08.wasn't for girls. I duly little short for a storm
:09:09. > :09:14.trooper? I started doing my research and
:09:15. > :09:19.found out that half of all Star Wars fans are women and 85% of consumer
:09:20. > :09:24.purchases are made by women. Ashley started to run company which
:09:25. > :09:31.sells Star Wars inspired fashion to female fans along with apparel
:09:32. > :09:36.inspired by other geeky franchises like Dr Who and Star Trek. Her
:09:37. > :09:44.business has expanded rapidly in recent years. A fashion labels are
:09:45. > :09:47.now getting in on it as well. Bloomingdale's recently hosted a
:09:48. > :09:53.fashion show with Star Wars inspired designs for both men and women when
:09:54. > :09:58.major designers, including Giles Deacon. It is the latest sign that
:09:59. > :10:01.Star Wars fandom is not only something that is cool to flaunt but
:10:02. > :10:08.something that everyone can enjoy together.
:10:09. > :10:11.Star Wars has brought fans more than just a movie-going experience. It is
:10:12. > :10:15.a collection of characters and adventures that have made an
:10:16. > :10:20.unusually strong connection with audiences. Why has it been such a
:10:21. > :10:25.successful narrative? We have gone back to the origins to see what was
:10:26. > :10:29.influencing the mind of George Lucas when he was creating Star Wars in
:10:30. > :10:34.the mid-19 70s. George Lucas is now 71 years old and
:10:35. > :10:38.was 33 when the first Star Wars film was released. In fashioning the
:10:39. > :10:45.picture, he was inspired by brought range of cultural influences like
:10:46. > :10:54.Flash Gordon and the Japanese picture the Headon Fortress. --
:10:55. > :11:12.Headon he lives and breathes Star Wars. The
:11:13. > :11:15.lamb war also find expression in the Star Wars film.
:11:16. > :11:20.The original conception of the Emperor was very much a Nixon like
:11:21. > :11:21.politician. Something that was largely discarded as the cycle moved
:11:22. > :12:25.along. This man is a philosopher who use of
:12:26. > :12:31.Star Wars. Western traditions. It will be sort of reduced to what he
:12:32. > :12:34.calls the heroes journey. There is something universally fanatic and a
:12:35. > :12:41.great success of Star Wars I think is that it draws on that. Whatever
:12:42. > :12:46.George Lucas did, Star Wars had an energising and spellbinding effect.
:12:47. > :12:51.There is something about the timeless struggle of light and dark
:12:52. > :12:55.and swords, it is everything put together. It is so many different
:12:56. > :13:03.types of genres melded into one thing, it appeals to some people.
:13:04. > :13:04.Some film critics claim Star Wars had a destructive impact on movie
:13:05. > :13:26.culture. going to bury what movie culture had
:13:27. > :13:32.been into an unreality zone where movies would now be about fantasy,
:13:33. > :13:38.comic books, et cetera. Star Wars fans are not concerned, they are
:13:39. > :13:40.happy to buy into the unreality, they don't think they are being
:13:41. > :13:43.harmed, far from it. They believe there is something sacred in this
:13:44. > :13:50.saga, which is to them a cultural unifier. The believers, George Lucas
:13:51. > :13:56.gave himself a gift to the ever expanding universe. With the novels
:13:57. > :14:01.and comic books and role-playing, people love playing in that world.
:14:02. > :14:19.It is sacred to them, and that is what great sci-fi films provide. The
:14:20. > :14:24.film itself was shot largely in the UK, as was the original trilogy. Al
:14:25. > :14:29.Maloney has been exploring the Star Wars British connection.
:14:30. > :14:38.The title card may read a galaxy far far away, but for many the UK is the
:14:39. > :14:41.spiritual world of the universe. It goes back almost 40 years to when a
:14:42. > :14:48.young George Lucas was desperately searching for a location to film his
:14:49. > :14:52.space opera. This is where it all began, Elstree Studios, the home of
:14:53. > :14:58.the shining, the Indiana Jones films, Dambusters, and many others.
:14:59. > :15:06.And also the original Star Wars trilogy. It could have all been so
:15:07. > :15:09.different, at the time Elstree was closed and the movie producers were
:15:10. > :15:13.close to agreeing a deal to film in Rome, that is until they found out
:15:14. > :15:19.that he Italian sound stages weren't soundproof. George Lucas had further
:15:20. > :15:30.negotiations with Elstree, owned by EMI at the time. We were having
:15:31. > :15:36.discussions with EMI to see if they would give a discount, and I am
:15:37. > :15:43.believed we were turned down because they didn't think there was much of
:15:44. > :15:49.a future for science-fiction films. The deal was agreed eventually, and
:15:50. > :15:53.why it went over budget and over schedule, on its release it became a
:15:54. > :15:57.phenomenon. Record box office takings in short a sequel and a
:15:58. > :16:02.return to Elstree. On the set of the Empire strikes back in 1979,
:16:03. > :16:07.director Irving Kirsch was full of praise for the British troops. The
:16:08. > :16:11.technicians I'm working with now are extraordinary. They are willing,
:16:12. > :16:17.able, and they are highly motivated. I think they liked the
:16:18. > :16:25.picture they are working on, and I find it very easy to communicate. It
:16:26. > :16:31.was in English, and it has been a good experience. But it wasn't just
:16:32. > :16:35.the British locations and crew that helped to turn Star Wars into a
:16:36. > :16:39.global industry. While the three main actors were American, the rest
:16:40. > :16:43.of the cast was largely made up of British acting talent. Giving
:16:44. > :16:52.gravitas to an otherwise fantastical tale. It continues to this day, with
:16:53. > :16:54.relative newcomer Daisy Ridley and John Gwynne acre taking centre
:16:55. > :17:17.stage. And in 17 and laugh and cry and was
:17:18. > :17:23.just so wonderful. I got an open a little bit and we were lucky to find
:17:24. > :17:28.all these actors. Filming on Episode VII has
:17:29. > :17:34.contributed $220 million to the UK economy. The franchise is a massive
:17:35. > :17:42.boost to the UK film industry. What Star Wars did was establish the
:17:43. > :17:44.industry as the place to go for a collar Road productions. It has
:17:45. > :17:54.stayed that way ever since. Were such a universe to explore, UK
:17:55. > :18:02.fans will be keeping their fingers crossed hoping fans are tuned in to
:18:03. > :18:09.a galaxy far away for a long time. When the first film arrived in 1977,
:18:10. > :18:14.it didn't just mesmerised audiences, change the film industry forever. It
:18:15. > :18:22.had a major industry and Holyrood in of technology deployed and on the
:18:23. > :18:27.kinds of films that got made. Richard Taylor reports from San
:18:28. > :18:33.Francisco. A long time ago and movie-making galaxy which by today's
:18:34. > :18:36.standards seem so far away, movie-making history was being made.
:18:37. > :18:45.Quite literally handcrafted. Teams worked they and night for months on
:18:46. > :18:50.end to bring light to George Lucas' vision. The scale was unprecedented
:18:51. > :18:55.and so was the success. With this lovable characters,
:18:56. > :18:58.multifaceted story team and pace, it became the highest grossing film
:18:59. > :19:04.ever seen. George Lucas had been a renegade who had escaped the evil
:19:05. > :19:07.Empire of the oppressive studio system 400 miles south and come here
:19:08. > :19:15.to northern California. It was an irony that has single creation had
:19:16. > :19:19.such a massive impact on Hollywood, unwittingly creating
:19:20. > :19:25.special effects laden blockbuster. Phil Tippett led the team making
:19:26. > :19:30.Star Wars creatures. Today he runs is on special effects studio. He
:19:31. > :19:34.told me that although Star Wars turned into a commercial juggernaut,
:19:35. > :19:38.there was something special about working on the first one.
:19:39. > :19:44.We were like heads at the candy store. It was fun. I didn't look at
:19:45. > :19:49.it like a huge opportunity. We get to work on a feature film for once.
:19:50. > :19:54.George did not know what he had when Star Wars came out. He was as
:19:55. > :20:00.surprised as anyone else to see those lines around the block. It was
:20:01. > :20:03.incredible. George explained to me like when you write the wild
:20:04. > :20:10.elephant, you go with the elephant goes. He wanted to be a mogul and
:20:11. > :20:14.call his own shots. He has said and so many of words that he feels like
:20:15. > :20:19.he became Darth Vader because he went where it took them.
:20:20. > :20:24.I'd buy the success of the franchise, the effects department
:20:25. > :20:29.became a powerhouse, not just a its own hurts but for other productions.
:20:30. > :20:32.It kick-started the entire computer graphics and video games industries
:20:33. > :20:41.and was the breeding ground -- breeding ground for Pixar. By the
:20:42. > :20:47.late 90s, Star Wars was continuing to pioneer, now with digital
:20:48. > :20:53.technology. Creating characters in a blue screen environment was
:20:54. > :21:02.arresting and more cost-effective. But it was challenging for actors
:21:03. > :21:06.and the prequels were criticised as digitally rendered style over
:21:07. > :21:17.substance, also measure that modern movies. This man worked at eight
:21:18. > :21:22.graphics supervisor on the scene. We used to computer graphics to
:21:23. > :21:28.realise the vision of this huge universe and as such there was the
:21:29. > :21:34.sense that the grandeur of what were trying to do distracted from the
:21:35. > :21:40.essence of Star Wars and I am afraid I was along with them.
:21:41. > :21:49.They are now insuring that the Star Wars legacy is to be continued.
:21:50. > :21:52.Working on a massive audience interaction and shaping the
:21:53. > :21:57.movie-going experience. That brings this special star Wars
:21:58. > :22:02.edition of Talking Movies to a close. We hope you enjoyed the
:22:03. > :22:06.programme. Remember you can always reach us online and can find us on
:22:07. > :22:10.Facebook. From me and the rest of the Talking Movies production team,
:22:11. > :22:12.it is good by as we leave you with these sounds and images of Star Wars
:22:13. > :22:17.over the decades.