It's a vast understatement to say that the Star Wars saga changed movies and moviemaking forever. But Star Wars also dramatically changed the way movies are sold to the public. Encouraged by a rabid, frame-freezing fanbase eager to spot any clue or morsel of information, the editors at Lucasfilm have learned to expertly sculpt teasers and trailers that play to expectations while, in some cases, disguising the glaring weaknesses of some films in the canon. Consider the reaction to the latest trailer in the series - the analysis, the over-analysis, the near-hysteria that greeted it. It was all expertly crafted. By now, there are almost as many trailers for Star Wars films as there are creatures in the galaxy. But which of them worked the best? Which ones failed to sell their film? Here are all of the theatrically-released trailers for the films in the Star Wars saga, ranked worst-to-best.
20. Star Wars Trailer Teaser (1976)
https://www.youtube.com/embed/i-vsILeJ8_8 With the original film rapidly going over-budget and much of the film (and its groundbreaking effects) still unfinished, a panicked 20th Century Fox cobbled together this bizarre teaser trailer in 1976. The ominous narration and spooky, nerve-wracking music did little to prepare audiences for the thrilling space adventure to come. Even worse, the teaser is filled with clips that look and feel unfinished. This is bad, even by the standards of seventies cinema.
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