Star Wars Fan Film Connects Galaxy Far, Far Away To Modern Earth

A new Star Wars fan film brilliantly connects the sci-fi franchise to modern Earth. Released online ahead of this weekend’s release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the fan film, called Star Wars Origins, was written and directed by Phil Hawkins and produced by Velvet and PhilmCo. It took over three years to make and was shot in the Sahara Desert. It stars Marie Everett (Netflix’s What Happened to Monday), Jamie Costa (HISHE on YouTube), Hadrian Howard (Terminator: Dark Fate, The Mummy), and Philip Walker.

The Star Wars universe is vast and full of countless story opportunities, giving fans plenty of space to create their own stories. Lucasfilm has been known to encourage fans to make their own films, even running a contest for a few years to see who could produce the best one. The franchise itself is facing a major change as The Rise of Skywalker brings the Skywalker Saga to an end and the Star Wars brand puts down roots on streaming service Disney+ with shows like The Mandalorian. 

Star Wars Origins is set in World War II and focuses on archaeologists Ellie and Walter as they are on the brink of discovering something massive. It becomes clear early on that they’ve found artifacts from the Star Wars universe: A lightsaber, a stormtrooper helmet, Jedi texts, etc. As they’re trying to make sense of what they found, they find themselves in grave danger from enemies who wish to take the knowledge for themselves. Check out the film below:

In addition to paying homage to Star Wars, the film also connects to another beloved George Lucas property: Indiana Jones. The WWII setting, archaeologist heroes, and Harrison Ford-lookalike Costa (who is sure to quote Han Solo multiple times too) give major Indy vibes, tying the two franchises together in a clever way. There are plenty of Easter eggs to be caught by fans in Origins, and the revelation of what Ellie and Walter plan to name their future child gives goosebumps.

Origins offers a fresh look at the Star Wars saga while paying tribute to it, which is the mark of an excellent fan work. If the YouTube comments are any indication, fans of the franchise agree. It’s incredibly well-made and thrilling to watch from start to finish. This film is proof that, while the Star Wars films will take a hiatus following The Rise of Skywalker, fans don’t have to stay idle. They can continue the story in any way they see fit, whether it be through fan films or fiction. It’s incredible to see how Star Wars can inspire fans of all ages and produce thrilling content such as Star Wars Origins.

Source: Star Wars Origins

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Rachel Labonte
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Rachel LaBonte is a news, feature, and movie review writer for Screen Rant with a deep passion for film and television. A graduate of Emerson College, she majored in Media Arts Production while specializing in screenwriting. She’s been a writer ever since high school when she realized she was rather good at it and joined as many entertainment news clubs as she could while in school. Most notably, she wrote for Emerson’s website Emertainment Monthly, and one of her film reviews won an Evvy (Emerson’s student awards) for Best Review. Her deep love of movies led to her working at a movie theater for five years, which she loved despite the angry customers. An avid reader who constantly buys books before reading the ones she already owns, Rachel is a huge fan of superheroes (especially of the Marvel variety) and wizards and will likely never be able to catch up on all the movies/TV shows she longs to watch.

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