The positive effects of "Star Wars" were that a youthful infusion of optimism and innovation, and greater directorial control became manifest the Hollywood film industry. Note that this sudden upsurge of interest in the public in the doings of Luke Skywalker was not predicted by studio powers-that-be, nor was the resultant gross. True, although success in movies today is often measured by opening weekend results, "Star Wars" took awhile to build in momentum, given the limited scope of its release. But the fact that "Star Wars" came to theaters in the summer meant: "Star Wars' not only rejuvenated the moribund science-fiction genre; it also ushered in the era of the summer blockbuster movie - which, for better or worse, transformed the way the movie industry does business," says film historian David Rapp (Sibley, 2007).

There is a "dark side" to the film's unexpected success, its technological innovation, and the conviction...

"Star Wars' also spawned a massive merchandising empire that includes everything from books and comics to toys, models and several television series. By 2005, according to Forbes magazine, the 'Star Wars' franchise, including movies, television programs, toys, comics, books and other merchandise had earned nearly $20 billion" (Sibley, 2007). From then on, merchandising and the potential for sequels, rather than artistic quality of the film product, or even the storyline of a popular product was the primary interest of studios. Selling toys rather than crafting storylines became more important -- and one might say that 'coming to a toy store near you' has become just as important to a movie's bottom line as showing a strong opening in the theaters.
Works Cited

Ebert, Roger. "Star Wars." 1999 Movie Review. Chicago Sun Times. 6 Jun 2007. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19991201/REVIEWS/912010301/1023

The History of Star Wars." Supershadow.com. 2007. 6 Jun 2007. http://www.supershadow.com/starwars/history.html

Sibley, Robert. "Star Wars pushed movie moguls over to the dark side." Montreal

Gazette. 26 May 2007. 6 Jun 2007. http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=b259f7f8-27ab-4a4c-bc80-15de14eaf1b1&k=47437