In 1977, Hollywood was shaken to its core when a little, independent film became a major hit. The movie was Star Wars and it directly impacted not only the future of the Star Trek franchise, but also the future of movie making.
The film was something new and fresh and it came at a time when people needed something new and uplifting.
America had been through some difficult times in the 70s. The watergate scandal forced Richard Nixon to resign as president. And in 1975, America pulled out of Vietnam in a less than victorious fashion. Then came gas lines, the energy crisis and high inflation.
It seemed like one problem after another was plaguing America. Then in the middle of all of that, Star Wars was released. The film was different from most 70s-era sci-fi movies. They were largely apocalyptic and took a negative view of the future.
Star Wars was a positive film with a positive message.
