Credit: LucasfilmFor almost 50 years, Star Wars has opened with one of the most recognizable phrases in movie history: “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…”
George Lucas’ original Star Wars (1977), later retitled Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), immediately established itself as a modern fairy tale set in a galaxy far removed from our own.
The phrase has remained a defining part of the franchise ever since, appearing before countless adventures across movies, television shows, books, comics, and video games. Many fans have interpreted those iconic words as those of an anonymous storyteller recounting past events.
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That makes Lucasfilm’s latest approach to the original story particularly interesting as the franchise prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2027.
2027 is already shaping up to be a major celebration of the film that started it all. Lucasfilm is revisiting A New Hope (1977) in several different ways, including a new Welsh-language version, Star Wars: Gobaith Newydd, and the major exhibition titled Star Wars: The Experience – A Journey Through the Galaxy at Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute.
There’s also the upcoming comic-book crossover Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles, which unites characters from both franchises in a first-time event.
And there’s another upcoming take on the original 1977 film that puts an entirely different spin on that famous opening.
Star Wars: A New Hope: Triple Take (2027), written by Kim Shearer and Chas! Pangburn, retells the events of the original film through the individual perspectives of Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Han Solo. And this is where that iconic phrase takes on a whole different meaning.
Lucasfilm Changes Star Wars‘ Most Iconic Phrase
Rather than simply presenting the events as an objective account of what happened “a long time ago,” Triple Take treats the story as something being remembered and retold by its characters.
Luke sees the adventure as a larger-than-life journey of destiny and courage, Leia remembers the dangerous reality of fighting the Empire, and Han, naturally, remembers himself as considerably more heroic than everyone else might.
The book even uses three distinct visual storytelling styles, each reflecting a character’s personality, memory, and version of the truth.
In other words, Lucasfilm isn’t literally rewriting the opening words of Star Wars. Instead, Triple Take redefines what “A long time ago…” can represent.
As such, the story becomes less like a definitive historical record and more like a legend being passed down by different people who were actually there. It’s a clever way to revisit a story fans have known for decades — especially as Star Wars celebrates half a century of storytelling.
Here’s the official description for the book from Simon & Schuster:
“Sibling writers and Star Wars newcomers Chas! Pangburn and Kim Shearer (Double Booking) pen a fun-filled, multi-perspective retelling that reimagines the events of Star Wars: A New Hope through the eyes of the Rebellion’s most notable heroes: Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker!
Luke remembers a larger-than-life mythic journey of destiny and courage, Leia recalls the dangerous reality of rebellion against the Empire, and Han? Han mostly remembers how incredibly heroic he was. See the iconic story as you’ve never seen it before, from Darth Vader’s terrifying first appearance to the denizens of the Mos Eisley Cantina to the destruction of the Death Star! Fans are in for a visual treat as a quartet of artists bring each character’s account to life.”
Lucasfilm initially announced the graphic novel for February 2027; however, the current publisher listing gives it an April 27, 2027 release date.
Would you want to see more classic Star Wars stories retold from different characters’ perspectives? Let us know!
