STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE

In 1981, LucasFilm and National Public Radio combined forces to produce a thirteen-part extended audio version of one of the most popular movies of all time—the original STAR WARS, later renamed STAR WARS: EPISODE 4: A NEW HOPE. They brought in original cast members such as Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker and Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, employed the film’s groundbreaking sound effects, and mixed in John Williams’s excellent and so recognizable theme music. The seamless addition of extra dialogue (like that between Princess Leia and Darth Vader) and backstory scenes about Luke’s home planet are a fan’s delight. From early on, George Lucas has encouraged animated spin-offs and fan-generated fiction set in the STAR WARS universe. This marvelous production was one of the first. Accept no substitute. B.P. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2014]