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Possible Duplicates:
In what order should the Star Wars movies be watched?
Why did Lucas begin the episode numbering at IV?

A story can be presented in any order, but why start with an episode IV?

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user931
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  • @Sachin - I don't understand "what about naming?" It's pretty important because it establishes chronology - III happened before IV. – Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SE Feb 23 '11 at 10:28
  • @Wikis These are rare. You can ask a question, too. Generally, naming of any series (book, software, movie etc.) is in incremental order (if numerical). – user931 Feb 23 '11 at 11:20
  • I've read somewhere that part of it was that the special effects required for the first part would be too difficult/expensive with the technology of that time (1977), but then, this is only a rumour. – jdv-Jan de Vaan Feb 23 '11 at 14:21
  • Sorry to @Shekhar, but isn't this a duplicate of http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/1520/in-what-order-should-the-star-wars-movies-be-watched? – Mark Rogers Feb 23 '11 at 15:12
  • @Mark No. Try to guess one's answer as another's answer. You can see the difference. Here, I'm asking the reason behind the release order, but that question deals with your interpretation with release order (or, even story). – user931 Feb 23 '11 at 16:09
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    @Scahin Shekhar - good point, but isn't it a duplicate of this question http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/872/why-did-lucas-begin-the-episode-numbering-at-iv – Mark Rogers Feb 23 '11 at 16:15
  • @Mark Rogers: Thanks! But, this question wasn't shown at the time of asking... – user931 Feb 23 '11 at 21:06
  • @Sachin Shekhar - no problem, it was asked last month, sorry for the confusion. I encourage you to keep asking any questions you have. – Mark Rogers Feb 23 '11 at 21:09

2 Answers2

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George Lucas already knew that there were earlier materials, he had the basic story worked out in advance (sources disagree on exactly how well developed they were, though). The reason he started with Episode IV (according to himself) was that it had more potential for commercial success and, since he was a relatively unknown card at the time, therefore easier to get a studio to accept. Apparently he was right.

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  • See the accepted answer here: http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/872/why-did-lucas-begin-the-episode-numbering-at-iv – user931 Sep 01 '14 at 17:15
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I think the general, most basic idea behind it all was...

In medias res or medias in res (into the middle of things) is a Latin phrase denoting the literary and artistic narrative technique wherein the relation of a story begins either at the mid-point or at the conclusion, rather than at the beginning (cf. ab ovo, ab initio), establishing setting, character, and conflict via flashback and expository conversations relating the pertinent past.

(...)

Likely original to the oral tradition, the narrative technique of beginning a story in medias res is a stylistic convention of epic poetry, the exemplar in Western literature being the Iliad (9th c. BCE) and the Odyssey (9th c. BC), by Homer.

(source: Wikipedia)

I think Lucas consciously picked this kind of opening to create what he believed would be an epic (in all senses of the word) movie.

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