May the 4th be with you: why Star Wars is still popular 40 years later
Posted May 4, 2015 8:00 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Expect to hear a lot of Chewy impressions Monday.
It’s Star Wars Day, and with a new film set to hit theatres in December, many are talking about the impact of the movie franchise.
Bart Beaty, a University of Calgary English Professor, says Star Wars has staying power partly because it leaves its fans wanting more.
“So, we’re constantly left to wonder: ‘Well what happened? Did Han and Leia get married? Did they have kids? Do their kids have the power of The Force?’ Well we’re going to find all of that out,” he said.
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is due out Christmas Day.
The franchise is so popular some people can make a living off of it, like Edmonton’s Rob Petkau who makes custom lightsabers: the weapon of choice for a Jedi Knight.
“It just draws you into the lore of Star Wars, and if I was a Jedi, what would my lightsaber have? What would it do? What it would look like? What would it feel like?” he said.
Petkau tells City News, he’s sold his creations all over the world, including orders to Japan, Australia and Mexico.
