Intermediate 
A long time ago, cinema audiences were transported to a galaxy far, far away.
That was 1977 but, in 2015, as the franchise plans to release its seventh  lm, interest in Star Wars shows no sign of slowing down. Now, there is news of a new  lm about Han Solo and of a reappearance for Darth Vader.
Many fans around the world are constantly waiting for the release of new poster art, new trailers and other information, said Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst. Its hard to imagine any other movie franchise that could cause this much enthusiasm and excitement.
The latest Star Wars mania started after Disneys purchase of Lucas lm from the  lms creator, George Lucas, in 2012. Disney paid $4bn for Lucas lm and very soon announced that there would be three more Star Wars episodes  VII, VIII and IX  plus plans for spin-off movies and standalones.
Details of the second spin-off have now been made public. It is a story about Han Solo, the intergalactic smuggler played by Harrison Ford in the  rst three  lms. This second new  lm will be released in May 2018.
It will follow the release in December 2015 of Episode VII, directed by JJ Abrams and titled Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The unnamed Episode VIII is due out in 2017 and a spin-off, Rogue One, will arrive in cinemas in 2016.
That movie will outline a rebel mission to steal the plans of the Death Star, a key part of the story in the  rst  lm in 1977. There was lots of interest in the rumour that Darth Vader, the black-clad villain of the original series, will reappear in Rogue One. The interest con rms the power of Star Wars nostalgia.
In creating a multi-storyline, multi-character cinema universe around Star Wars, Lucas lm-Disney are copying the phenomenally successful series of  lms produced by Marvel Studios, which Disney also bought, in 2009.
Disney has increased the level of marketing savvy to a product that was already popular: Dergarabedian says the decision to make all six existing Star Wars  lms available on streaming services is a brilliant way to build the excitement for the new  lm and reinvigorate the idea of Star Wars in the minds of the fans.
But, it is not certain that it needs reinvigorating. The level of enthusiasm that has surrounded Star Wars for at least the last twenty years is shown by the huge number of novels, comic books, video games and merchandising that Lucas lm has created over the years.
Michael Rosser, news editor for Screen International, suggests that it is this shared universe of nostalgia that makes Star Wars the top  lm franchise. The great thing about the original  lms was that they created a huge universe of characters and possibility that sparked the imagination of viewers, he said.
For years, people have been wondering how the different parts of the story  t together. This new  lm goes back to Han Solo and Luke Skywalker so we hope it will reconnect with the original Star Wars  lms. The prequels failed to do that.
Rosser is referring to the three  lms Lucas directed between 1999 and 2005  The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith  which were about the life of Luke Skywalkers father, Anakin, who becomes Darth Vader. Despite quite bad reviews, the prequels took $2.5bn at the worldwide box of ce.
It shows the power of Star Wars that, although they were disappointing, the prequels still made a lot of money, said Rosser.
In the world of  lm, branding and a successful franchise are very important. Is there a risk that movie studios will simply become branding machines and lose their interest in cinema?
Rosser thinks not. They are desperate to keep the franchise going and make sure new  lms are of good quality. They also want people to go to the cinema at a time when lots are staying home for entertainment. But you dont want to watch Star Wars on your iPhone.
Meanwhile, Dergarabedian expects massive business when The Force Awakens reaches cinemas in December 2015. We certainly expect a record opening for December and the  lm should make at least a billion dollars worldwide. Truly, Star Wars is the ultimate movie brand.