Have you gotten your fill of “Star Wars” yet? Of course not. It’s an all-consuming cultural entity that’s nearly as common as bread, water and iPhones. And a major component of its enormous success over the past four decades is its masterful serialization. Much like Charles Dickens, George Lucas holds a very special place in the history of commercialized narratives, which is explored in Nerdwriter’s latest video essay, “Star Wars: A New Chapter For the Serial.”
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From its use of large casts, multiple subplots, reliance on twists and its character diversity (seen most recently in ‘The Force Awakens‘ and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”), the Disney-owned blockbuster franchise captures the two predominant qualities of serialized narratives: interpretive communities and a responsiveness to its audience. In turn, the seemingly endless overarching narrative and expanded universe creates a social bond and a prolonged global conversation, much like daytime soap operas.
Almost everyone is going to see the new ‘Star Wars’ movie and the next one after that, due to the global discourse spun from these characters. J.J. Abrams’ latest installment (for fans, made by a fan) represents a new chapter for the ongoing series — much like what new iterations of Batman, Sherlock Holmes or James Bond provide for different creators and consumers.
The force is strong for the future of ‘Star Wars’ and its serialized narrative, and you can see that for yourself with the video below.