I was watching Elliot Roberts’ decidedly scathing review of Yesterday, and it got me thinking - that premise would probably work more with Star Wars. A world without Star Wars ever existing would be easier to portray than a world without The Beatles ever existing, especially since it’s more limited to film and television.

Perhaps people are more familiar with the movies that inspired Star Wars?
Would there be the same mainstream appreciation for directors like Kurosawa and the classic serials?
What would the blockbuster and movie merchandising look like in today’s age? The blockbuster phenomenon would probably still happen (Jaws), but would the template be different?
Whatever happened to the lesser and more known actors within the movie?
Did Jodorowsky make his adaptation of Dune?
Does Star Trek have a different fate, one where Planet of the Titans happened and different kinds of spin-offs existed?
How does the '80s play out in pop culture, without Star Wars generating so many of the tropes of that decade’s popular media? Is the nostalgia boom different as a result?

…and the big one,

What if George Lucas works with Coppola on his big Vietnam War movie? I find a Lucas-influenced or Lucas-edited Apocalypse Now a fascinating idea.

Also, pitching Star Wars in this different universe - would it ever get off the ground or was it purely a product of its temporal and locational context?