Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy is a feature-length documentary that explores the creation, production, and cultural impact of the original Star Wars trilogy. Directed by Kevin Burns and Edith Becker, it reveals the hardships, victories, and behind-the-scenes magic that shaped one of cinema’s most influential franchises.
Detailed Summary
The Birth of an Unlikely Vision
The documentary opens by showing George Lucas’s early struggles as a young filmmaker. We learn how Star Wars was originally seen as a strange, risky project. Lucas battled studio resistance, budget limitations, and skepticism about whether audiences would embrace an operatic space fantasy.
This section highlights Lucas’s inspirations, including classic serials like Flash Gordon, mythological storytelling, and Joseph Campbell’s philosophy of the hero’s journey.
A Nightmare Production Becomes a Classic
Empire of Dreams dives into the tumultuous production of A New Hope. Everything that could go wrong did: malfunctioning droids, sandstorms in Tunisia, failing props, and chaotic schedules.
Yet, despite the chaos, the documentary shows how the cast and crew’s ingenuity helped salvage the film. The creation of ILM (Industrial Light & Magic) becomes a centerpiece of this section, emphasizing how Lucas essentially invented modern visual effects because they didn’t exist yet.
Growing the Universe: The Empire Strikes Back
Moving to the second film, we see Lucas hand over directing duties to Irvin Kershner. The documentary highlights the risks of making a darker sequel, the groundbreaking special effects (including stop-motion AT-AT sequences), and the shocking twist reveal of Darth Vader.
It also details Lucas’s financial gamble: he funded the movie himself. Had it failed, he may have lost everything.
Return of the Jedi and the Completion of the Saga
In the final act, the documentary covers Return of the Jedi, including challenges like Richard Marquand directing under Lucas’s close supervision, the creation of Jabba the Hutt, and the Ewoks’ controversial role.
Empire of Dreams emphasizes how these three films reshaped pop culture, merchandising, and blockbuster filmmaking forever.
Movie Ending
The documentary ends with a reflective and emotional tone. It shows the triumphant success of the original trilogy, including fan reactions, global cultural impact, and the historic popularity of the franchise.
The final section focuses on how Star Wars transformed George Lucas’s life, the birth of global fan communities, and how the trilogy’s influence is felt in filmmaking, storytelling, and technology.
The ending underscores that Star Wars wasn’t just entertainment. It became a shared myth, connecting generations. The documentary closes by acknowledging Lucas’s determination, the creative teams that helped him succeed, and the realization of a dream that once seemed impossible.
Are There Post-Credits Scenes?
No. Empire of Dreams does not contain any mid-credits or post-credits scenes.
Type of Movie
This is a feature-length documentary that blends interviews, archival footage, and behind-the-scenes material to chronicle the creation of the original Star Wars trilogy. Its tone is informative, historical, and celebratory.
Cast
- George Lucas
- Mark Hamill
- Harrison Ford
- Carrie Fisher
- Billy Dee Williams
- Peter Mayhew
- Anthony Daniels
- Kenny Baker
- Irvin Kershner
- Richard Marquand (archival)
- John Williams
- Numerous producers, technicians, puppeteers, and ILM staff
Film Music and Composer
The documentary is accompanied by selections from John Williams’ iconic Star Wars score, used to enhance emotional and historical moments. Additional documentary scoring is woven in, though Williams’ themes remain the musical backbone.
Filming Locations
As a documentary, its “locations” are mostly archival material and interviews. Key settings include:
- Skywalker Ranch – where many interviews were filmed
- Lucasfilm/ILM facilities – showcasing the evolution of special effects
- Archival footage from original Star Wars filming locations like:
- Tunisia (Tatooine)
- Elstree Studios (UK)
- Yuma Desert (Sarlacc Pit)
These locations are important because they reveal the practical, often grueling realities of filming scenes that became cinematic legends.
Awards and Nominations
- Won: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Nonfiction Program
- Won: Emmy for Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming
- Nominated: Several additional documentary and television awards
Behind the Scenes Insights
- George Lucas was initially rejected by multiple studios before Fox finally agreed to fund Star Wars.
- Many executives predicted the movie would fail due to its unconventional story and setting.
- ILM was created from scratch because no existing company could deliver the special effects Lucas needed.
- The first cut of A New Hope was considered “a disaster” until editors dramatically reworked it.
- Harrison Ford was not originally considered for Han Solo; he was only reading lines to help other auditioning actors.
Inspirations and References
- The French documentary highlights Lucas’s influences, including:
- Flash Gordon serials
- Akira Kurosawa films
- Joseph Campbell’s mythological structure
- The Hidden Fortress
- Metropolis
- Star Wars draws from classic adventure tales, mythic archetypes, and 1930s pulp storytelling.
Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes
As a documentary, it does not have alternate endings, though certain interview segments and archival materials were trimmed for pacing. Some DVD/Blu-ray releases include extended interview clips originally removed from the final version.
Book Adaptations and Differences
There is no direct book adaptation of the documentary, though the making of Star Wars has been covered extensively in companion books. Compared to these books, the documentary focuses more on personal stories, archival footage, and first-hand accounts.
Memorable Scenes and Quotes
Key Scenes
- The chaotic filming of Tatooine in Tunisia, including droid malfunctions and weather issues.
- The creation of ILM and its groundbreaking miniature and motion-control work.
- Behind the scenes during the filming of the Vader-Luke reveal.
- The construction and puppeteering of Jabba the Hutt.
- George Lucas discussing the crushing pressure of making The Empire Strikes Back.
Iconic Quotes
- George Lucas: “A special effect without a story is a pretty boring thing.”
- Harrison Ford: “You can type this stuff, George, but you sure can’t say it.”
- George Lucas: “Star Wars was designed to be a modern fairy tale.”
Easter Eggs and Hidden Details
- Several rare archival clips appear that were not previously available in public releases.
- A short moment shows early concept art that never made it into any film.
- Early puppet tests for Yoda are included, featuring unused designs.
- The documentary includes audio outtakes of C-3PO and Chewbacca.
Trivia
- Originally produced for the Star Wars Trilogy 2004 DVD set.
- The full documentary runs about 150 minutes, unusually long for documentary features.
- Some interview footage was recorded specifically for this project, not reused from older material.
- A number of special effects artists interviewed later worked on the prequel trilogy.
Why Watch?
Because it provides an in-depth, honest, and often humorous look at how one of the most influential film trilogies in history was created. If you love Star Wars, filmmaking, or stories about impossible dreams becoming reality, this documentary is essential viewing.
Its combination of rare footage, candid interviews, and insightful storytelling makes it one of the most acclaimed behind-the-scenes documentaries ever produced.
Director’s Other Movies (Kevin Burns & Edith Becker)
- Kevin Burns:
- The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal (1985)
- Behind the Planet of the Apes (1998)
- Cleopatra: The Film That Changed Hollywood (2001)
- Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible (2010)
- Edith Becker:
- Hollywood Ghost Stories (1989)
- Hugh Hefner: Once Upon a Time (1992)
Recommended Films for Fans
- Behind the Planet of the Apes (1998)
- Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible (2010)
- The Beginning: Making Episode I (2001)
- Crystal Lake Memories (2013)
- Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse (1991)
