Star Wars, children's film culture, and fan paratexts

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter (peer-reviewed)peer-review

    Abstract

    Star Wars is a prime example of contemporary transmedia storytelling and a modern children’s film franchise. The story and brand are spread out across multiple media platforms and paratexts, driven by a central narrative story arc. George Lucas is the original content creator, originator of the brand, and author of a series of films and associated texts that speak to a family audience. Since the Disney takeover of the Star Wars franchise, the transmedia story has remained an important part of the company’s strategy to produce new content for both children and adult fans. Star Wars fans are long-standing, multigenerational, and engage with transmedia texts across convergent media platforms to access new content. How they interact with franchise paratexts, such as collecting and modifying the toys, highlights the contemporary appeal of children’s film and the continuing effect of nostalgia on both general audiences and the global Star Wars fan community.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationThe Oxford Handbook of Children's Film
    EditorsNoel Brown
    Place of PublicationOxford
    PublisherOxford University Press
    Chapter34
    Pages716-736
    Number of pages31
    ISBN (Print)9780190939359
    Publication statusPublished - 15 Apr 2022

    Publication series

    NameOxford Handbooks
    PublisherOxford University Press

    Keywords

    • Star Wars
    • Children's Film
    • Paratexts
    • Fandom
    • Franchises
    • Entertainment

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