Of famous films, the history of cinema is rich; there are only so many films capable of launching trends and remaining popular for more than 40 years. To the second category belongs Star Wars, the most famous saga of the silver screen, which has rewritten several rules of the film business, not only the one for fantasy. Since the release in 1977 of the first film in the series, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, success has been almost immediate, going far beyond theatrical viewing, so much so that fans spontaneously created a movement and a series of events to celebrate their affection for the different titles and favourite characters in the saga.

An iconic phrase and pun

Thus May the 4th became Star Wars Day, even though there are several anecdotes behind the anniversary and some who inevitably disagree with the official version. This is the case of the Los Angeles City Council, which in 2007, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the first screening of the saga, indicated May the 25th as the day to celebrate Star Wars. To no avail.

Everything revolves around “May the Force be with you“, the symbolic phrase of Star Wars, which by assonance has become “May the 4th“, delineating the day dedicated to the saga conceived by George Lucas, director and producer of Star Wars (and of Indiana Jones, another legendary film series) but also founder, president and CEO of Lucasfilm, the personal holding company in which he brought together the businesses related to his activity.

Within it, various divisions such as Skywalker Sound and Industrial Light and Magic were created, which over time became references in their respective fields, sound effects and visual effects. Fast-growing and in great demand by film productions, Disney acquired LucasFilm on October the 30th, 2012, for $4.05 billion.

Thatcher’s anecdote and the interpreter’s mistake

Returning to Star Wars Day, the story goes back to 1978 for the initial spread of ‘May the 4th be with You‘, thanks to the film’s success as a costume phenomenon, which led to the circulation of posters, stickers and stickers other merchandising products, obviously unofficial. At first, among journalists, the gimmick was ridden with reference to the 4th of July, in honour of American Independence Day, then surprisingly, the breakthrough came from the UK when after Margaret Thatcher’s election, The London Evening News published the headline: ‘May the 4th Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations!“.

It was 1979, and also in London at that time, scenes were being shot for The Empire Strikes Back, which was followed in 1983 by Return of the Jedi, later known as Episode V and Episode VI. The production obviously became aware of the title dedicated to the British Iron Lady, although the matter remained within the group for several years.

While in those days, Randy Thom, the current director of sound design at Skywalker Sound after joining the company in 1982, used to leave business cards with the motto ‘May the 4th Be With You’, Lucasfilm only released the first branded posters in 2005, to promote Revenge of the Sith, which was released on July the 4th of that year. Also at that time, in a television interview for the German channel N24 (since 2018 renamed Welt), George Lucas uttered the phrase ‘May the Force be with you’, which the German interpreter mistranslated as the equivalent of ‘Will be with you on the Fourth of May’.

May the 4th, a day that makes everyone happy

With the multiplication over the years of spontaneous and unconnected fan events, parties and celebrations following the handover of Lucasfilm to Disney, the production company exploited May the 4th anniversary, making it a springboard and an effective marketing channel to launch new films and TV series, as well as scheduling events to attract fans of the saga, such as theme park get-togethers. From the first US nerds, the Star Wars tribute habit quickly spread all over the world, with marathons to watch all the titles one after the other, cosplay contests and races to buy the strangest and most coveted gadgets of the series.

Among the most popular events staged each year is the annual exhibition of Star Wars-themed artwork and memorabilia organised in Leeds, while at the National Space Centre in Leicester, also in England, there is a three-day event where the actors of the saga can be met between parties and lectures. On the other hand, The Unofficial World’s Largest Lightsaber Flash Mob has become a cult event at the Arlington Campus of the University of Texas.

Testifying that Star Wars has an unprecedented following, born in the late 1970s and growing steadily over the years, are also the more than $5 million earned in one weekend with the re-release of Episode VI – Return of the Jedi to North American cinemas. A staggering result for the final chapter of the first trilogy of the saga, first released in 1983. All the more so considering that today technology allows us to watch films as and when we wish and that all Star Wars titles are available for streaming on Disney Plus.