Complete ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy Finally Enters The National Film Registry

One of the highest honors for any filmmaker would be to have their film entered into the National Film Registry.

In 1988, the National Film Preservation Act created the National Film Preservation Board to ensure the survival, conservation, and public availability of films.

“Star Wars” creator George Lucas had the honor of watching “Star Wars: A New Hope” be chosen among the first group of inductees in 1989. The second installment in the original trilogy, “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” was chosen in 2010.

Now, in 2021, 1983’s “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” was chosen to be admitted into the National Film Registry, making all three films that comprise the original “Star Wars” trilogy a part of history.

Member of the National Film Preservation Board, John Ptak of the American Film Institute, said that “George [Lucas] has created such great characters with enduring stories that are fresh with every viewing.  The success and influence of the Star Wars series films on filmmakers, the industry, and a global audience is remarkable and will stand the test of time.”

According to the official Star Wars website, “Return of the Jedi” secured the greatest number of votes among the 6,150 other film contenders.

“Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” was only one of the 24 other movies to be entered into the archive. Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden selects movies for inclusion and then consults with the National Film Preservation Board, which consists of Board Chair Dr. Jacqueline Stewart, Alfre Woodard, Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, Richard Masur, and M. Night Shyamalan.

The films that were selected date from 1902 to 2008 and include the first installment of Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” which was released in 2001. Some other standouts are the 2008 animated Pixar film “Wall-E,” which won an Oscar for best-animated feature, and WesCraven’s 1984 horror classic, “A Nightmare on Elm Street.”

Here is the full list of films by order of release date:

1. “Ringling Brothers Parade Film” (1902)
2. “Jubilo” (1919)
3. “The Flying Ace” (1926)
4. “Hellbound Train” (1930)
5. “Flowers and Trees” (1932)
6. “Strangers on a Train” (1951)
7. “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” (1962)
8. “Evergreen” (1965)
9. “Requiem-29” (1970)
10. “The Murder of Fred Hampton” (1971)
11. “Pink Flamingos” (1972)
12. “Sounder” (1972)
13. “The Long Goodbye” (1973)
14. “Cooley High” (1975)
15. “Richard Pryor: Live in Concert” (1979)
16. “Chicana” (1979)
17. “The Wobblies” (1979)
18. “Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi” (1983)
19. “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984)
20. “Stop Making Sense” (1984)
21. “Who Killed Vincent Chin?” (1987)
22. “The Watermelon Woman” (1996)
23. “Selena” (1997)
24. “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001)
25. “Wall-E” (2008)