For some,Star Warsisn’t just a movie series. It’s a way of life. It brings something new to this ever-expanding universe, offering fresh ideas and challenges, just as every sequel has in the past. But to get fromThe Phantom MenacetoThe Last Jedihas been quite a journey, and it would have never happened without the original trilogy. For some, those three movies are the defining essence ofStar Wars. And just in time for the holidays, we look back at how it all came to be with the classic documentaryFrom Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga.
Ever wonder what it was like to be a part ofStar Warsmadness when it was first unleashed on the world? This fun expose takes you back to where it all begin with vintage footage direct from VHS. This isn’t a new, updated take on that galaxy far, far away. This is pure, untapped goodness direct from the source. And it is sure to have you feeling nostalgic for the adventures of Luke, Leia, Han, Chewy,Lando, C-3PO and R2-D2 all over again. Even ifThe Last Jedibrought you down, this fun trip will bring the love right back into your heart for all thingsStar Wars.
When it was released,From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Sagawas a big deal. It was the culmination of everythingStar Warsup until that point. And for kids back in the 80s, it seemed as though these were the only threeStar Wars movieswe were ever going to get. This video transported us straight to the set, to see how the magic came to life. It defined the legacy of the story and the characters in a way that hadn’t happened up until that point. And it also allowed for us to see some exciting scenes fromReturn of the Jediat home, in an era where we couldn’t just call up the trailer and watch it a hundred times on Youtube.
From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Sagaoriginally debuted August 15, 2025 a few months after the movie came out in theaters. And it made its debut on PBS. The 65 minute expose covered a lot of ground in its short runtime, but mostly focused on the making ofReturn of the Jedi, which ended the original trilogy early that May. Mark Hamill returned to narrate the documentary, which is comprised of considerable material and behind-the-scenes footage from all threeStar Warsmovies, includingA New HopeandThe Empire Strikes Back.
Fans were allowed backstage access to watch the creation of various alien creatures, even getting to go on location in Yuma Desert in Arizona for the sequence aboard Jabba’s sail barge, as well as on location in the redwood forests of Northern California for the Endor scenes. The documentary provides access to the filming of the speeder bike chase sequence, and the creation of the various alien languages and the song “Lapti Nek” as performed by the character Sy Snootles and theEwok celebrationsong at the end of the film, which were later replaced in 1997 with George Lucas’Return of the JediSpecial Edition.
Perhaps most exciting at the time was that this documentary also includes footage from the original deletedStar Warsscene featuring Han Solo’s meeting with Jabba the Hutt, who was then played by Irish actor Declan Mulholland. This was before the scene was restored for the 1997 Special Edition ofA New Hopein which aCGI Jabba the Huttwas superimposed over Mulholland and his dialogue dubbed. And this here was the first time that fans were getting to see this holy grail of missing footage.
Not only do we haveFrom Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Sagafor you to rekindle your love withStar Warsthis holiday season. We also have the original commercial for theStar WarsTrilogy VHS Collector’s Preview 1989, which is sure to make you feel all war and fuzzy as you sip eggnog by the fire with your portable device. Let all this goodness wash over you, and remember why you fell in love withStar Warsin the first place.
