<P> The franchise began in 1977 with the release of the film Star Wars ( later subtitled Episode IV : A New Hope ) , which became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon . It was followed by two successful sequels , The Empire Strikes Back ( 1980 ) and Return of the Jedi ( 1983 ) , all together constituting the original Star Wars trilogy . A prequel trilogy was released between 1999 and 2005 , albeit to mixed reactions from both critics and fans . A more - recent third trilogy continues the story decades after Return of the Jedi , beginning in 2015 with Star Wars : The Force Awakens . The first eight films were nominated for Academy Awards , with wins going to the first two films released . The franchise has been commercially successful , with a combined box office revenue of over US $8.5 billion , making it the second highest - grossing film series . Theatrical spin - off films include Rogue One ( 2016 ) and Solo ( 2018 ) . </P>
<P> The franchise began in 1977 with the release of the film Star Wars ( later subtitled Episode IV : A New Hope ) , which became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon . It was followed by two successful sequels , The Empire Strikes Back ( 1980 ) and Return of the Jedi ( 1983 ) , all together constituting the original Star Wars trilogy . A prequel trilogy was released between 1999 and 2005 , albeit to mixed reactions from both critics and fans . A more - recent third trilogy continues the story decades after Return of the Jedi , beginning in 2015 with Star Wars : The Force Awakens . The first eight films were nominated for Academy Awards , with wins going to the first two films released . The franchise has been commercially successful , with a combined box office revenue of over US $8.5 billion , making it the second highest - grossing film series . Theatrical spin - off films include Rogue One ( 2016 ) and Solo ( 2018 ) . </P>
what is the name of the original star wars
what is the name of the original star wars
Episode IV : A New Hope
Episode IV : A New Hope