This May 4th is the most important day of the year for fans of the STAR WARS saga. On that date, #StarWarsDay is celebrated annually, a day born from a popular tradition started by fans and adopted by Lucasfilm, which enhances the spirit of fandom shared by STAR WARS with global and local events, new content, parties and more. The message May the 4th be with you™️ connects fans from all over the world and arises from the phonetic association of English “May the Force be with you” (“May the Force be with you”, in its Spanish translation).
In commemoration of this new #StarWarsDay, 15 curious and little known facts from yesterday, today and always about the vast universe of STAR WARS.
STAR WARS IN NUMBERS
Star Wars is the #1 plush toy property in Mexico and ranks in the top 5 in the entire toy industry in that country. Star Wars The Mandalorian The Child Vinyl Head Plush 11” is among the best-selling toys in 2021 in Brazil. Star Wars is in the top 10 brands in the categories of games for adults and puzzles, construction sets and dolls in Brazil.
THE MOST IMMERSIVE STORY EVER CREATED
On March 1st, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, the new STAR WARS hotel located at Walt Disney World Resort, opened its doors. Visitors can enjoy a revolutionary new two-night experience where guests board a launch capsule, encounter the iconic Halcyon star cruiser, and sleep in a stateroom or suite with an exquisite view of space. Plus, they interact with an eclectic collection of characters, sample exotic galactic gourmet cuisine, and even plot a secret team mission. The experience can start planning here.
LATIN TALENT
The STAR WARS movies and series have renowned Latin American talent in their casts. Some of them? Mexican actor Diego Luna, who brings to life the character of Cassian Andor in ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY; Chilean actor Pedro Pascal, who plays The Mandalorian, the central character in The Mandalorian; Mexican actress Verónica Segura, who brings to life the character of Cordé in STAR WARS: ATTACK OF THE CLONES; and STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS features Kenyan-Mexican actress Lupita Nyong’o, who plays Maz Kanata, and Guatemalan-Cuban actor Oscar Isaac, who plays the iconic Poe Dameron. Bonus fact: Isaac stars in Moon Knight, the latest original series from Marvel Studios, exclusively on Disney+.
YOUR VOICE SOUNDS ME
Legendary American actor James Earl Jones, who has lent his distinctive voice to the character of Darth Vader throughout the saga, is also the English voice of Mufasa in Disney’s 1994 animated classic THE LION KING.
TRIBUTE FROM SPRINGFIELD
Disney+ and Star+ subscribers can enjoy Maggie Simpson in Star Wars: Nap Wake, a fun original short film celebrating the saga, in which little Maggie goes on galactic adventures in a nursery far, far away. Also, if it’s about STAR WARS, fans of the celebrated series The Simpsons will remember the episode in which Homer Simpson makes a “spoiler” of the end of STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK before a line of anxious fans on opening night of the movie.
UNMISTAKABLE SOUND
The iconic lightsaber sound was created by combining the hum of an old television’s picture tube and the hum of a movie projector’s motor.
CANINE INSPIRATION
At the 2017 STAR WARS Celebration event, STAR WARS creator George Lucas confirmed that Chewbacca was inspired by his dog. “All the stories are true. He had a big dog named Indiana. It was an Alaskan Malamute, and he was in the car in the front seat. I wasn’t driving. I loved that picture.”
FRATERNAL TRIBUTE
Colin McGregor, the brother of actor Ewan McGregor, who plays Obi-Wan Kenobi in the series, used the call sign “Obi-Two” while in the British Royal Air Force. The long-awaited original series Obi-Wan Kenobi, starring McGregor, will premiere on May 27 exclusively on Disney+.
SEVERE STORM
During a night of filming in Tunisia for STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE, actor Liam Neeson’s (Qui-Gon Jinn) wig went missing during a thunderstorm. To the dismay of the crew, the same severe storm destroyed many of the podracers built for the film.
ALL AUDIENCES
When they began developing The Mandalorian, the filmmakers knew from the start that they wanted to create a STAR WARS series that could be enjoyed by all audiences, regardless of their knowledge of the series. “I think the beauty of The Mandalorian is that you don’t really need to know anything about STAR WARS to enjoy it. If you know that the Mandalorians are known to be the greatest warriors in the galaxy and that they will fight you to prove it, then that will help a lot. You’ll seem more ‘smart’ at first, but you don’t have to have popular STAR WARS lore,” executive producer Dave Filoni revealed.
FROM SUPER SOLDIER TO BOUNTY HUNTER
The character of Boba Fett, a bounty hunter of few words, was first brought to life in the STAR WARS universe as a “super soldier” concept. Their appearance? A masked figure in all-white armor, designed by Joe Johnston and Ralph McQuarrie. The super soldier was ultimately scrapped, but George Lucas had another character idea up his sleeve: a bounty hunter. White armor was painted and chipped, a poncho was slung over his shoulder… and Boba Fett was born. The famous character is the central figure of The Book of Boba Fett, the original Disney + series.
SECRET REVEALED
Actor Anthony Daniels, who played the lovable droid C-3PO for four decades, has confessed that he fell asleep on the set of STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI and woke up to hear a big STAR WARS secret he wasn’t supposed to. to know. After a quick nap behind a tree, he woke up just in time to hear Leia reveal her true relationship with Luke. “When I saw the finished film, only I knew that it was behind the tree,” he confessed.
MACARONI AND CHEESE NOISE
When legendary sound designer Ben Burtt was asked to come up with the unmistakable sound of the alien Jabba the Hutt, he turned to a classic dish made by his own wife. According to Burtt, the muffled sound was “mac and cheese being groped in a bowl.”
FRESH WOKIEES
When it came to making several Wookiee costumes for STAR WARS: REVENGE OF THE SITH, the costume department learned a few tricks to make them more comfortable and cool. To ensure that the actors wearing the heavy, fur-covered suits on set were kept at tolerable temperatures, wardrobe devised a cooling suit to layer under the skin. The system featured tubes attached to a mesh jacket, through which cold water could circulate to combat the heat.
LUXURY BARTENDER
In STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, legendary STAR WARS music composer John Williams has a cameo appearance. He appears as a bartender in a canteen on the planet Kijimi. His character’s name is Oma Tres, an anagram for “teacher.” To honor him, the production also included 51 elements in the scene that refer to each of the 51 nominations that Williams received for the Oscar®️ Award throughout his career.
