Star Wars Movies in Release Order
The Star Wars franchise, produced by Lucasfilm and owned by The Walt Disney Company since 2012, released its first film in 1977. As of the latest public data, the Skywalker saga spans nine episodic films, with the original trilogy debuting between 1977 and 1983, the prequel trilogy between 1999 and 2005, and the sequel trilogy between 2015 and 2019. Forbes reports that the combined global box office for the episodic films exceeds 10 billion dollars. Box Office Mojo provides detailed grosses for each installment.
Release order is the standard way most fans and databases list the films, starting with Star Wars (1977), followed by The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983), The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002), Revenge of the Sith (2005), The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). This sequence reflects the actual theatrical rollout and is used by streaming platforms, retailers, and studio marketing materials.
Star Wars Movies in Chronological Order
Chronological order rearranges the episodic films by in-universe timeline, beginning with the prequel trilogy. The Phantom Menace (1999) is set decades before the original 1977 film, followed by Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005). The original trilogy then follows in release sequence, with The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983) taking place after the prequels. The sequel trilogy continues the story with The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
Standalone films such as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) fit into the chronological timeline between the prequel and original trilogies. Rogue One is set just before the events of the original 1977 film, while Solo takes place approximately a decade earlier. Lucasfilm has confirmed these placements through official canon references and supplemental materials published on StarWars.com.
Production Companies, Release Strategy, and Box Office Performance
Lucasfilm, founded by George Lucas, produced the original and prequel trilogies. After Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, the company produced the sequel trilogy and the standalone films under the Lucasfilm banner. Disney's SEC filings list Lucasfilm as a wholly owned subsidiary. The Walt Disney Company also manages distribution through its Buena Vista division.
Box office performance shows the original trilogy as the highest-grossing in adjusted terms, while the sequel trilogy generated strong global