10 More Huge Box Office Hits NOBODY Saw Coming

A long time ago in a galaxy not that far away at all, the idea of a film about space wizards trying to stop the forces of evil from taking over the galaxy didn't exactly seem like a bona fide hit just waiting to happen.

George Lucas had poured his heart and soul into bringing his beloved Star Wars to life, managing to somehow convince 20th Century Fox to fund his epic space opera after just about every other studio in Hollywood turned down this idea they clearly sensed was a flop waiting to happen.

But after showing an early cut of what eventually became one of the biggest blockbusters in cinema history to a few of his moviemaking pals, Lucas told a Q&A in 2015 (via Business Insider) that the majority of them had the response of, "Poor George. What were you thinking?" All except one Steven Spielberg, who boldly claimed this movie right here was going to be the biggest movie in history.

Being proven right and then some when the film eventually released, Spielberg's Star Wars prediction ultimately came true as this fantastic adventure, made for $11 million, eventually caught everyone by surprise and became the fourth highest-grossing movie of all time after adjusting for inflation.

Even George Lucas didn't think he had a hit on his hands before his film dropped in 1977, but Star Wars would eventually bring home an incredible $503 million in its initial run in theatres and kick off a series that would dominate our own galaxy for years to come.