‘2021 marks the 50th anniversary of Lucasfilm. The celebration will kick off with commemorative, fan-favorite 50th anniversary Star Wars products. The launch starts in January and will continue throughout the year with special edition product releases’.
“Consumer products have always been an integral part of the Star Wars fan experience, and they remain a constant force in pop-culture today,” says Paul Southern, Lucasfilm senior vice president, Licensing and Franchise. “To commemorate Lucasfilm’s 50 years of storytelling, we look forward to honoring this consumer products legacy and bringing to life brand-new products, games, and publishing offerings that celebrate our future with Lucasfilm’s exciting feature films and Disney+ series ahead.”’
^ from the ‘StarWars•com 50th anniversary announcement’ - the first article on Lucasfilm’s 50th, on StarWars•com, in December 2020.
It is both telling and unfortunate in the first announcement about Lucasfilm’s 50th anniversary… that the opening statement is about selling the fans more merchandise. As evidenced below, and also since - in the majority of articles online, it appears the aim of Lucasfilm’s 50th anniversary is not to celebrate the rich history and achievements of this great pioneering company… but to instead sell yet more merch to the fans.
Just some of the countless offerings from sites using Lucasfilm’s ‘50th anniversary’ as opportunity to sell more merchandise…
Fan Favorites from Classic Star Wars stories come to Hasbro’s Black Series - at StarWars•com
^ RebelScum.com info on the wrong character name, story and figure details for the release of the Black Series’ Imperial Guard figure
Lucasfilm and Hasbro announce new publishing-inspired Star Wars figures - at Lucasfilm•com
Hasbro Pulse reveals Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary products and more - at StarWars•com
Lego R2D2 available to buy as part of Lucasfilm’s 50th anniversary (for $200) - at Lego•com & Lego’s Twitter
The Clone Wars figures - available as part of Lucasfilm’s 50th anniversary - at StarWars•com
LEGO Minifigure Madness, Hasbro Celebrates 50 Years of Lucasfilm, and More! at the official Star Wars youtube channel
Del Rey celebrates Lucasfilm’s 50th anniversary by repackaging ‘Legends’ novels - at DelReyStarWars twitter.
Classic Star Wars books are getting re-released for Lucasfilm’s 50th anniversary article at Polygon•com
Best Star Wars Trading Card Sets to Celebrate Lucasfilm’s 50th Anniversary article at DenOfGeek•com
Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary: Clone Ward figure headed to Target article at ToyBook•com
Star Wars Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Free Promo Box from Hasbro video at Bossk’s Bounty youtube channel
D23 Announces Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary 6-Pin Box Set Coming May 24th article at LaughingPlace•com
The Phantom Menace: Black Series Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Action Figure: Mace Windu - at Forbidden Planet
The Clone Wars: Black Series Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Action Figure: Obi-Wan Kenobi - at Forbidden Planet
Hasbro reveals Lucasfilm 50th anniversary Star Wars: Droids figures - at Future Of The Force
Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Commemorative Action Figures (index list) - at Jedi Temple Archives
Doctor Aphra #12 - Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Variant (assorted Marvel comics) - at Boba Fett Fan Club
Lucasfilm’s 50th anniversary commemorative film posters - at the official D23 club
Lucasfilm 50th anniversary ‘challenge coin’ - at Worth Point
Lucasfilm 50th Vintage Collection Shipper At Walmart - at Galactic Figures
Lucasfilm Ltd. 50th Anniversary Logo T-Shirt (clothing) - at Shop Disney
Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Star Wars Bomber Jacket - at Her Universe
“Bring Home The Bounty” Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary merchandise announcement - at StarWars•com
“Star Wars” has announced a big “Bring Home the Bounty” marketing campaign’ - 50th Anniversary - at SVG (Dec 14th)
2021 Topps Star Wars: Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary - The Force Awakens - Card #7 - at Topps•com
Three Black Series Figures Based on Gendy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars for Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary - at Jedi News
Star Wars Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Episode 1 Battle Droid - at In Demand Toys
Pre-Order TBS Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Princess Leia Organa (Yavin-4) - Jedi Temple Archives
Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary and Upcoming Legends Characters - EA’s Galaxy Of Heroes game site
Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Black Series Imperial Death Trooper 6-Inch-Scale - at Hasbro
Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Star Wars Gold & Black Death Star Mock Neck Dress - at Hot Topic
Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Star Wars Yoda Hoodie - at Hot Topic
#SWResistance-themed “Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary” variant for #BountyHunters 20 releases Jan 12th (2022) - at SW Books
Obi-Wan Kenobi - The Clone Wars Black Series Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Action Figure 2021 - at Pop Toys
^ For ‘Week 9’ (7th, December 2021) of the Bring Home The Bounty - "a global consumer products, games, and publishing campaign" - with ‘Lucasfilm’s 50th Anniversary’ being front and centre as the main promoted theme for that week… there was nothing at all about Lucasfilm’s 50th Anniversary:-
Book Of Boba Fett - Black Series figures revealed (Week 9) - at StarWars•com
Several online searches over the year also seemingly equates Lucasfilm’s 50th anniversary with overwhelmingly being about selling merch - rather than highlighting or celebrating the rich history & ground-breaking achievements of the company itself.
Even on the actual day of the 50th Anniversary, the 10th December, there was not a single mention of the day / anniversary on the Lucasfilm website or any of their social media pages - nor on the Star Wars website, nor any of their social media pages.
A few decent articles from Lucasfilm about its actual 50th anniversary - some chronicles and accomplishments of the company (and not seemingly an attempt to sell us fans more tat)…
• Lucasfilm website portal for ‘Lucasfilm at 50’ - www.lucasfilm.com/tag/50th-anniversary
• D23’s ‘Lucasfilm’s 50th anniversary Crossword’ - https://d23.com/app/uploads/2021/05/Lucasfilm-50th-Crossword-v3.1-2.pdf
• Lucasfilm 2021 Holiday card celebrates 50th anniversary - at Fantha Tracks (on 17th December)
• ‘Lucasfilm Originals: Scumm’ (article on an early computer game) - www.lucasfilm.com/news/lucasfilm-originals-scumm
• ‘Lucasfilm Originals: The EditDroid’ (article on filmmaking tool) - www.lucasfilm.com/news/lucasfilm-originals-the-editdroid
• 'Lucasfilm Originals: The Dykstraflex (article on filmmaking tool) - www.lucasfilm.com/news/lucasfilm-originals-the-dykstraflex
Some other useful info links - Skywalker Sound : ILM : ILMxLab : Lucasfilm Wiki on Fandom : Lucasfilm on Wikipedia
The welcome announcement the following longstanding and popular ‘non-canon’ Star Wars releases are to finally see the light of day again. Coming to Disney+, under the ‘Vintage Collection’ banner, in April 2021:-
“Caravan of Courage”
“Ewoks: The Battle for Endor”
“Star Wars: Clone Wars – Volume I”
“Star Wars: Clone Wars – Volume II”
“Star Wars: Ewoks” (Seasons 1-2)
“The Story of the Faithful Wookiee,” (better known as the animated section of the 1978 made-for-TV-film, “The Star Wars Holiday Special” – featuring the first appearance of bounty hunter Boba Fett.’)
https://attractionsmagazine.com/exciting-star-wars-additions-coming-disney-april
^ Hopefully we’ll see all of these releases presented in best possible quality - and NOT just lazy upscales to ‘HD’ quality. 👍
Star Wars: Droids, was later added to the Vintage Collection on Disney+.
Though still no release for the 39 finished episodes of Star Wars Detours.
Nor a release of The 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special either.
^ Edit: unfortunately, it seems the majority of the ‘Vintage Collection’ on Disney+ is indeed HD upscales.
The many, many various new Star Wars series and theatrical projects announced back in December 2020:-
Future Lucasfilm Projects Revealed - at StarWars•com
The ‘Indiana Jones 4-film Collection on 4K UHD’ set is also being released this year…
https://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/031521-1400
^ Hopefully the ‘Young Indiana Jones Chronicles’ will also see a quality release on a modern digital format someday too.
26th May Edit: It was poor form to see that there was nothing at all on the official Star Wars website, twitter, facebook, Lucasfilm website, or Lucasfilm facebook about the 25th May - especially given this year is Lucasfilm’s 50th anniversary.
C’mon Lucasfilm - you are so much better, and so much more, than selling merch… celebrate that rich history with all us fans.
Still, many on here, on social media, and on other Star Wars fan sites & blogs etc - seemed to celebrate it just fine! 👍
10th December Edit: Even on the actual day of the 50th Anniversary, there was not a single mention of the day / anniversary on the Lucasfilm website or any of their social media pages - nor on the Star Wars website, nor any of their social media pages.
A couple of intriguing articles on Lucasfilm’s 50th (especially the article from SlashFilm)…
Lucasfilm turns 50 in 2021, celebrating with lots of new merch - at FanSided
Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Celebration Will Include Shiny New Stuff to Spend Your Galactic Credits On - at SlashFilm:-
‘Look: I get it. Movies are a business, and they exist to make money. That’s no secret. But if the first words out of your mouth regarding a major studio’s anniversary are, “Consumer products have always been an integral part of our fan experience!”, you’re doing something wrong. Or maybe not. Perhaps the fine folks at Lucasfilm deserve credit for not bullshitting us. For being upfront about what they want: money, money, money.’
So in the spirit of Lucasfilm’s 50th anniversary, celebrating their long history in film and tv, and in fitting with their accomplishments over the years, let’s hope they also do the right thing - re the glaring omission from their catalogue of work…
…and release the unaltered theatrical version of the Original Trilogy. The three classic iconic films that underpin all of the Galaxy Far Far Away, which have been officially unavailable (in a quality release it so merits) for over 25 years now, and counting.
A fan-favourite release that fans the world over would only be too happy to celebrate Lucasfilm for in its 50th anniversary.
And also actually pay money for too…
Last Updated: 21st December, 2021.