Star Wars is not a science-fiction franchise.
Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes space warfare , melodramatic adventure , interplanetary battles , as well as chivalric romance , and often risk-taking . Star Wars is an American epic space opera franchise , centered on a film series created by George Lucas . Star Wars ( later retitled Star Wars : Episode IV -- A New Hope ) is a 1977 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas .