Did you know that George Lucas wrote the original Star Wars script? In addition to the original trilogy, there were 12 movies planned and nine of them were produced. However, the films were never written fully and were largely just a vision of Lucas. The entire series was a financial success, and the franchise is still wildly popular today. You can explore more about Star Wars at The Direct!

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A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . . 

There was a little bitty science fiction film titled Star Wars, written and directed by George Lucas. Released in 1977, the film became so popular that it spawned two sequels, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, two made-for-television Ewoks movies, two short-lived Saturday morning cartoons, and the infamous (and laughable) 1978's Star Wars Holiday Special. The entire franchise was pretty much dead until 1991 when the Bantam Books published Star Wars: Heir to the Empire by Hugo Award-Winner Timothy Zahan, which is book one in a three-book cycle. Dubbed the "Thrawn Trilogy," the books introduced four new characters — Mara Jade, Talon Karrde, Gilad Pellaeon, and Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Disney; PG-13; 135 mins; Walmart

Being released to Blu-ray (+Digital) this Tuesday from Disney Home Entertainment is the action-packed prequel Solo: A Star Wars Story. Directed by Ron Howard, the film stars Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo, and Paul Bettany.

Set many years before "Rogue One" and "A New Hope," Solo centers around a young Han Solo (played by Alden Ehrenreich) before he became a famous smuggler. While living on the planet Corellia, Han and his girlfriend Qi'ra (played by Emilia Clarke) try to bribe an Imperial officer with coaxium in exchange for passage on a transport ship. Unfortunately, Qi'ra is apprehended by a local gang before she could get on the ship. Han ends up joining the Imperial Navy, so he can learn how to be a pilot. He made a vow to himself that he would get his own spaceship and will one day return to Corellia to rescue Qi'ra.

Well, things didn't go as planned! Han gets kicked out Imperial Flight Academy and is sent to the planet Mimban as a infantryman. This is where he meets Tobias Beckett (played by Woody Harrelson), Val (played by Thandie Newton), and Rio Durant (voiced by Jon Favreau), a trio of smugglers posing as Imperial soldiers. After failing to blackmail them in letting him join their crew, Han is arrested for desertion and is tossed into a pit with a beast -  Chewbacca! Using his knowledge of the Wookiee language, Han and Chewbacca (played by Joonas Suotamo) formed an alliance, escaped the pit, and joined Beckett's crew on a train heist to steal a shipment of coaxium on Vandor-1.

Once again, things don't as planned, which leads Han to an unexpected reunion with Qi'ra. On his adventure, Han meets Lando Calrissian, he gets chased by the Enfys Nest pirates, and he gets to pilot the Millennium Falcon for the very first time.

Additionally, Solo: A Star Wars Story will be released to Blu-ray 4K Ultra HD™, DVD and On-Demand on September 25th. It's already available digitally in HD and 4K Ultra HD™ and on Movies Anywhere.

Blu-ray and Digital Special Features include (may vary by retailer):

• Solo: The Director & Cast Roundtable -Sit down with director Ron Howard and the stars for an intimate and entertaining discussion of the film’s making.
• Team Chewie - See what it takes to bring your favorite Wookiee to life in this lighthearted look behind the scenes.
• Kasdan on Kasdan - Iconic Star Wars screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan and son Jonathan share what it was like to write the movie’s script together.
• Remaking the Millennium Falcon - Track the transformation of the most famous ship in the galaxy, from Lando’s swank and impeccable pride and joy to Han’s stripped-down hot-rod freighter with “special modifications.”
• Escape from Corellia - Get behind the wheel for the making of this high-octane chase through the streets of Corellia.
• The Train Heist - Explore the challenges and thrills of creating this action-packed sequence, including its remote location and spectacular effects.
• Becoming a Droid: L3-37 - Meet the newest droid—and the talented actor who helps bring her to life.
• Scoundrels, Droids, Creatures and Cards: Welcome to Fort Ypso - Take an in-depth tour of the rough-and-tumble bar where strangers mix and gamblers risk all in the legendary card game, Sabaac.
• Into the Maelstrom: The Kessel Run - Join Han and Chewie at the controls of the Millennium Falcon to see how this legendary moment in Star Wars history unfolds.
• Deleted Scenes
• Proxima’s Den
• Corellian Foot Chase
• Han Solo: Imperial Cadet
• The Battle of Mimban: Extended
• Han Versus Chewie: Extended
• Snowball Fight!
• Meet Dryden: Extended
• Coaxium Double-Cross
• The Millenium Falcon: From Page to Park – An exclusive look at the history of the most famous ship in the galaxy, its origin and development, and how it will translate in one of the most anticipated expansions in Disneyland’s history.

TV-Y7; 267 minutes; Amazon

Now available on DVD from Disney Home Entertainment and LucasFilm Ltd. is LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures: Complete Season Two, featuring 12 action-packed episodes. The DVD comes with an "Exclusive Darth Vader Pin."

The voice cast includes includes Nicolas Cantu (Rowan), Vanessa Lengies (Kordi), Eugene Byrd (Zander), Matthew Wood (R0-GR), Trevor Devall (Emperor), Dana Snyder (Graballa), Vanessa Marshall (Hera), Yvette Nicole Brown (Lt. Valeria), Corey Burton (Quarrie), James Urbaniak (M-OC) and Matt Sloan (Darth Vader).

Developed by Bill Motz and Bob Roth ("Penguins of Madagascar"), the series is set between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and focuses on the Freemaker siblings - Zander, Kordi, Rowan (a twelve-year-old Jedi-in-training), and their battle droid, R0-GR.

Season Two finds the Freemakers working with the rebel fleet, under the command of Admiral Ackbar. After Rowan has a vision about building an "arrowhead" ship that's controlled by an oversized kyber crystal, his siblings seek the help of a ship builder named Quarrie to assist them in the creation of the ultimate weapon against the Empire.

Meanwhile, Emperor Palpatine is obsessed with capturing Rowan. He creates a bounty hunter droid, M-OC, which has only one purpose - capture Rowan.

Bonus Features on the DVD include:

• 5 Adventure-Filled Shorts
• Home One
• Thrown Into Battle
• Rowan's Secret Adventure
• Zander Freemaker: Superstar Pilot Guy
• Beware The Gamorrean Flu