Sat, 09 May 2026 05:34:49 +0000

What Movie Launched the Galactic Empire? The Forgotten First Film of Star Wars! When most people think of Star Wars, the beloved saga’s origin often points to Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, released in 1977, widely regarded as the film that launched the legendary Galactic Empire. But what many fans overlook is a hidden gem that served as the franchise’s true cinematic birthplace—the overlooked and deeply influential The Forgotten First Film of Star Wars: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, though technically not a “first” in release, and more accurately, a key progenitor in spirit and scope. However, the real forgotten cinematic launchpad lies elsewhere—behind the iconic opening of Episode I – The Phantom Menace lies a subtle but vital piece of Star Wars history: the conceptual and visual foundation laid in the franchise’s earliest phases, culminating not just in a single film, but in a carefully crafted trajectory that did begin long before Tatooine. ### The Myth of The Phantom Menace as the “First” Film