Abstract

The creation of Star Wars by George Lucas sparked the creation of a vast universe of films, books, television shows, toys, games, and more. Star Wars fans quickly took the reins, fleshing out the universe Lucas had created in new and exciting ways. Decades after the conclusion of the Original Trilogy, the Prequel Trilogy arrived on the scene, sparking excitement and trepidation among fans of the Original Trilogy. A decade after the Prequel Trilogy concluded and three years following the acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disney Corporation, the Sequel Trilogy arrived at an even more significant wave of mixed reviews. Six years following the conclusion of the Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars has lost steam. While fans had some hope that the merger would breathe life into the franchise again, others became jaded due to the controversial directions the films and auxiliary media took. This research sought to understand the fan sentiment regarding the Star Wars franchise, with expectations that fans of the franchise would be actively seeking out information regarding the franchise and sharing that information with others. Unfortunately, it appears that Star Wars's excitement has faded, as many of the fans surveyed appeared ambivalent towards the franchise. Rather than being excited or even angry about the state of the franchise, many appeared to simply not care. While this study does not examine the reasoning behind the lack of care, potential reasons are proposed, with possible warnings for new franchise writers as they attempt to find the crown of popularity that once rested upon Star Wars.

Degree

MA

College and Department

Fine Arts and Communications; Communications

Rights

https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2025-04-14

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd13580

Keywords

Star Wars, Original Trilogy, Prequel Trilogy, Sequel Trilogy, Optimal Distinctiveness, Social Identity Theory

Language

english

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