Each year, fans of the sci-fi franchise “Star Wars” celebrate the series on May 4. It’s a play on the popular catchphrase uttered by Jedi knights, “May the Force be with you.” In “Star Wars” lore, the Force is an energy field fueled by all living things. Both Jedi and Sith make use of the Force to unleash their full potential, tapping into it for their powers.

George Lucas is the brain behind the sci-fi epic. Originally, he almost scrapped the movie after he was scrambling to find a studio willing to take a chance on funding his space opera. Initially, he had wanted to create his own “Flash Gordon” film, but was denied the rights. This rejection led him to decide to write one himself. Eventually, he realized his creation was too long and needed to be split into three parts. This made it a hard sell, as he was still a relatively new director at the time. After pitching to several studios, 20th Century Fox decided to take George in.

Production of the first film, “A New Hope,” was anything but seamless. They barely had a budget and were forced to cut corners at every turn. These would end up forcing the team to be creative at times, with some mistakes being overlooked and even ending up in the final cut. Though some of these errors, like the stormtrooper bumping his head on the entryway, have since become fan favorite easter eggs for repeat viewings. Other mistakes include the inclusion of a trench on the Death Star after production artists messed up the mold. This ended up being utilized as the pathway for Luke and other rebel pilots to fly through to destroy the Death Star. Han Solo’s iconic Millennium Falcon was also the result of a rushed redesign, after its original design was found too similar to a ship from the sci-fi television show “Space: 1999.”

George and his team continued to power through the mishaps and budget cuts. “Star Wars: A New Hope” hit theaters on May 25, 1977. It was an instant hit, garnering over ₱47.5 billion ($775 million) worldwide. This came as a surprise to George, as many of his peers had thought the project would fail. Steven Spielberg (“E.T.,” “Jurassic Park,” and “Jaws”) was one of the few friends of his who would voice his support throughout. George went on to make the rest of the films, “Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi.” Some years later, as technology improved, George came back to direct the prequel trilogy. Fans met the prequels with mixed views, though many still look to them with fond memories. In 2012, Disney bought the company and created the sequel trilogy, two spin-off films (“Solo: A Star Wars Story” and “Rogue One”), and several live action and animated series set in the “Star Wars” universe (“The Mandalorian,” “Andor,” “Clone Wars,” and “Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord” to name a few). This month, the latest addition to the franchise, “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” is expected to hit theaters on May 20. As we celebrate nearly 50 years of “Star Wars,” may the intergalactic sci-fi epic find more fans over the years, and may the Force be with us all!