To give you alittle perspective on how SW impacted movies in 1977, just think back to the success of Titanic in that winter of 1998 and times that by 100. It was a must see for all age groups, EVERYONE I knew went to see, it was an event. What drove its success was of course the special effects that had never been seen before. The great uplifting story, the humor spread throughout the movie, and the cool characters from Han to Darth Vader. The one thing that will always stick out to me seeing it in the theater was when the Death Star blew up, the crowd went crazy, it was almost like every person in that theater beat the Empire! The crowd clapped after the movie, which is very rare today, and within a week, SW had taken over the movie-biz.
Back then there were no DVD, VCR, you had to see it in the theater, as it did good business ALL summer, not just the 3-4 week window of today, and then it hits DVD by the fall. It took 6 years to come to HBO, so after I had seen it in 1977, and loved the movie to death, I didn't get to fall in love with the movie again until 1983, when I watched it endlessly on HBO.
ESB & ROTJ did great business, but it went from a mass audience to a SW audience, and that is the big difference from the original. The SW audience was still so huge, the movies are still in the top 15, adjusted for inflation. ESB & ROTJ were again an event, as a kid, WE had to see them, as there was no internet, no trailers to see online, just the movies in 1980 & 1983. The movies were so revolutionary back then, nothing even came close, just watch a StarTrek movie or Alien, and the effects don't come even close to a SW movie.
The PT will always be a mixed bag as it all depends who you ask. That is the big difference between the PT & OT, the PT had its fans, it detractors, and then a base of people who just didn't really care after they were finished. The OT had a hardcore base of fans that I know today that STILL love those 3 movies more then anything in the world. The PT is more of an extension of SW, and like any movie series, you have a built in fanbase that will enjoy anything that is put on screen.
I think the PT will be remembered for the hype, the wait for each episode name, the released photos on the internet, the first trailer, and that opening weekend to get juiced for another SW film. That stuff still brings back good memories, but the PT, IMO, was never going to live up to the OT. The OT had the uplifting story, the great characters, the groundbreaking effects, and fanbase that treated it like a religion. The PT will always have its fanbase, more of a niche base, but in fairness to the PT, I go by this old saying, "Those who follow greatness are doomed to fail."
Overall, SW will never die cause it is pop culture. It will never be like it was from 77-83, and I am fortunate I grew up during that magical ride.
I tried to focus most of my post on SW in 1977, but if you want to know more about ESB & ROTJ, I can elaborate. Thanks!