Over the course of the nearly 50-year history of Star Wars, fans have earned exciting insight about the birth of the galaxy far, far away. In the age of the Internet and streaming, fans have more access than ever before to the iconic development of the franchise, with Lucasfilm being so aware of the interest in pulling back the curtain on the process that each season of a new TV series will also get a behind-the-scenes deep dive on Disney+. Not only that, but social media means that members of the cast and crew can share unique anecdotes at a moment’s notice, allowing fans to appreciate the saga in an entirely new light.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Still, no matter how much information about the making of the movies can be gleaned from falling into internet wormholes, there have been a wealth of fascinating documentaries that run the gamut of chronicling the entire galaxy far, far away to focusing on one significant (or notorious) corner of the series. Whether you’re a relative newcomer to the franchise or you’ve been with it since the start, below you’ll find a handful of documentaries that are sure to offer new perspectives on one of the greatest franchises in sci-fi history.
Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy
Originally released in a box set of the original trilogy on DVD in 2004, Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy explores the creation of the original trilogy of films and features insight from all of the key members of all three films. Given the subject matter and the timing of the documentary’s development, Empire of Dreams is arguably the definitive documentary chronicling every monumental step in the journey of the first three films, from George Lucas conceiving of the narrative to the filming to the cultural impact of all three entries, serving as the most engaging opportunity to learn about the movies.
In addition to Empire of Dreams documenting key moment’s in the trilogy’s history, the movie itself is an impressive piece of filmmaking, as it manages to make audiences question whether or not Lucas’s gambles would pay off for him, even though we already know the impact of the saga and its tremendous success.
A Disturbance in the Force
While Empire of Dreams chronicles how the saga was created out of nowhere and became a cultural legacy, A Disturbance in the Force is almost the exact opposite.
In 1978, CBS wanted to get in on the Star Wars game and got Lucas to agree to let them develop a variety show, which would become the infamous The Star Wars Holiday Special. The event brought back all of the key figures in the franchise, including Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher, but also injected comedic sketches, musical numbers, and the fictional celebration of “Life Day,” a holiday celebrated by Wookiees.
The Star Wars Holiday Special only aired once and had an infamous reputation for decades, given that it never earned an official home video release, forcing fans to track down bootleg copies of the debacle. A Disturbance in the Force feature interviews not only with individuals who helped make the special, but also a number of hilarious Star Wars fans who all try to make sense of the affair. Given that the special itself will never be released, no matter how many times filmmakers turn elements of it into official canon, watching this documentary is the next best thing.
I Am Your Father
Villains don’t come any bigger than Darth Vader, thanks to the nefarious schemes he enacted, the vocal performance of James Earl Jones, and the towering stature of actor David Prowse. It was a team effort to make the Sith Lord so unsettling, and while everyone involved in the project knows it was a collaboration, Prowse’s efforts have largely been overlooked in the decades since Vader was unleashed.
I Am Your Father serves as a documentary honoring Prowse’s career before, during, and after his work in Star Wars, but also comes with some emotional significance. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi famously ends with Luke Skywalker unmasking Vader, and while Prowse was led to believe he would film this scene, actor Sebastian Shaw instead conveyed the character’s dying moments. In addition to the documentary exploring Prowse’s melancholy about the situation, the filmmakers also allowed Prowse himself to film his own version of the scene to close the frustrating chapter of his life.
Elstree 1976
Many of the documentaries on this list feature interviews with the most important players in the franchise, but Elstree 1976 takes an entirely different approach. Rather than focusing on the main cast and crew, the documentary instead focuses on the people who existed in the margins of the movie, whether they be extras who had small parts or had smaller, though still pivotal, roles behind the scenes.
Named after the studio where Star Wars (before it had the A New Hope subtitle) was filmed, the movie highlights how even being a tangential part of the seminal project changed the lives of participants, while others carried on with their careers unimpeded. Similarly, the documentary serves as a reminder of how, while the major players in the franchise have deservedly earned acclaim, it was truly a team effort to bring the ambitious adventure to life.
The Director and the Jedi
In 2015, J.J. Abrams delivered audiences Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and while the movie earned positive reviews and broke countless box-office records, some fans derided the experience for being a bit too familiar and a bit too safe. Filmmaker Rian Johnson aimed to push the series into uncharted territory with Star Wars: The Last Jedi, effectively dividing the Star Wars fandom forever.
While some fans loved seeing Johnson’s storytelling in the galaxy far, far away, detractors claimed that Johnson knew nothing about the sci-fi saga and aimed to “ruin” elements of not just the sequel, but also the franchise as a whole. Watching the behind-the-scenes documentary The Director and the Jedi likely won’t cause any audiences to change their minds on liking The Last Jedi, but it does showcase how much passion, excitement, and love Johnson brought to his story, regardless of what online trolls have to say. The documentary even includes the moment in which Mark Hamill, who was vocal about his disagreement with Johnson’s direction for Luke Skywalker, learns that the title of the film represents Luke and viewers can see the emotional impact such a reveal takes on the performer.
Honorable Mention: The Beginning: Making Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace
George Lucas is understandably considered the be-all, end-all storyteller for the Star Wars saga, and rightfully so. 16 years after delivering audiences Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, one of the most monumental events in sci-fi cinema was his return to the series for a prequel trilogy.
There’s a lot to like about Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, but fans of all ages can largely agree that the prequel trilogy doesn’t live up to the original movies. While The Director and the Jedi showcases how much thought went into all of Johnson’s decisions, The Beginning serves almost as a counterpoint, as fans can watch Lucas make a number of decisions about the first prequel that would ultimately be elements that earned the most criticism.
Most notably, the documentary features Lucas reacting to the first cut of the movie, as he expressed things like, “It’s a little disjointed … it’s bold, in terms of jerking people around. I may have gone too far in a few places.” Of course, this is just his reaction to the initial pass, but with the divisive nature of both The Last Jedi and The Phantom Menace, this documentary reminds you that even the creator of the saga isn’t infallible.
