<P> Star Wars was released on May 25 , 1977 . It was followed by The Empire Strikes Back , released on May 21 , 1980 , and Return of the Jedi , released on May 25 , 1983 . The opening crawl of the sequels disclosed that they were numbered as `` Episode V '' and `` Episode VI '' respectively , though the films were generally advertised solely under their subtitles . Though the first film in the series was simply titled Star Wars , with its 1981 re-release it had the subtitle Episode IV : A New Hope added to remain consistent with its sequel , and to establish it as the middle chapter of a continuing saga . The plot of the original trilogy centers on the Galactic Civil War of the Rebel Alliance trying to free the galaxy from the clutches of the Galactic Empire , as well as on Luke Skywalker 's quest to become a Jedi . </P>
<P> Star Wars was released on May 25 , 1977 . It was followed by The Empire Strikes Back , released on May 21 , 1980 , and Return of the Jedi , released on May 25 , 1983 . The opening crawl of the sequels disclosed that they were numbered as `` Episode V '' and `` Episode VI '' respectively , though the films were generally advertised solely under their subtitles . Though the first film in the series was simply titled Star Wars , with its 1981 re-release it had the subtitle Episode IV : A New Hope added to remain consistent with its sequel , and to establish it as the middle chapter of a continuing saga . The plot of the original trilogy centers on the Galactic Civil War of the Rebel Alliance trying to free the galaxy from the clutches of the Galactic Empire , as well as on Luke Skywalker 's quest to become a Jedi . </P>
when did the star wars movie first come out
when did the star wars movie first come out
May 25 , 1977
May 25 , 1977