Return to the Galaxy With First-Ever 'Star Wars' Trailer From 1976

What's This?

By Neha Prakash2013-10-10 15:14:56 UTC

It may seem like there was never a time you couldn't remember Luke, Leia, Han and Chewbacca rebelling against the Empire. But in the early '70s, the universe had yet to meet this now legendary gang.

Star Wars is taking us back to the way, way beginning by releasing the film's first trailer on its YouTube channel.

The trailer (for what is now known as Episode IV: A New Hope) aired in 1976 and lacks many aspects that have become pop culture history — no iconic score by John Williams, a pre-James Earl Jones Darth Vader and no scrolling text to introduce us to a galaxy far, far away. Instead we get: “Somewhere in space, this may all be happening right now.” We're glad that part was rewritten.

But the trailer does reveal how 20th Century Fox and George Lucas originally marketed the movie. The movie is introduced as "the story of a boy, a girl and a universe."

The film was released on May 25, 1977 and earned more than $1.5 million in its limited release opening weekend. It also went on to earn an Academy Award nomination.

While this may be quite the time warp for fans, it also leaves us wondering how the first trailer for J.J. Abrams's Star Wars remake will compare to the movie that started it all more than 30 years ago.