J.J. Abrams' record-breaking smash THE FORCE AWAKENS consciously reaches back to the very first entry in the STAR WARS universe, 1977's A NEW HOPE, for inspiration, plot points and design — and offers us an opportunity to look back at how George Lucas changed the game for science-fiction, and film in general, forever. In this half of this week's discussion, we'll look at Lucas' inspirations, the story A NEW HOPE tells, and how the legend around it grew into a billion-dollar business. Please share your comments, thoughts, and questions about A NEW HOPE, THE FORCE AWAKENS, or both by sending an email to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.

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