Star Wars creator George Lucas changed the title of the first movie to A New Hope, and the explanation behind his decision is very interesting. Episode numbers and subtitles may be an essential part of the Star Wars saga now, but that wasn't the case when the original movie came out in 1977. This reflects Lucas' original expectations for Star Wars and how his plans changed after the movie became an enormous success.
A New Hope also started the tradition of Star Wars movie titles with multiple interpretations. Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, and The Last Jedi either had different meanings or significance that weren't clear right away. However, there is a clear explanation for A New Hope's title and why Lucas retitled Star Wars in the first place.
Why George Lucas Called Star Wars "A New Hope"
Lucas wanted Star Wars to feel like a story the audience was coming into the middle of, one of the many ways Flash Gordon influenced the Star Wars trilogy. Because viewers may not have seen the last episode, there would always be an opening crawl to explain what happened last time, something that Lucas adopted for every Star Wars film. By the time The Empire Strikes Back came out, Lucas had realized that telling the story of Ben Kenobi and Luke's father was possible, so he included "Episode V" at the beginning of the crawl. When Star Wars was re-released in 1981, Lucas added "Episode IV - A New Hope" to the title.
What Is The "New Hope?"
With the galaxy ruled by an evil Galactic Empire, A New Hope is the perfect title for a movie where the rebels fight back. While the "New Hope" was originally Luke Skywalker, it became both him and Leia once they were revealed as twins in Return of the Jedi. Both characters serve as symbols of a new generation ri against the darkness of the past. Luke became a great Jedi and helped to redeem his father, while Leia led the Rebellion to victory and helped build the New Republic. Luke and Leia would later on what they learned to "the next new hope" as Lucas would say.
Although many purists will always call the movie Star Wars and nothing else, A New Hope was still the best title that Lucas could have chosen. It perfectly captures the central theme of the movie, describes the characters across each stage of their journey, and makes all the Star Wars titles consistent with each other. Referring to the movie as A New Hope is also simpler than saying Star Wars, which can reference any part of the franchise. George Lucas made the right call changing the title of the first Star Wars movie to A New Hope, allowing all the titles to describe the story of the original trilogy.
