It was a long time ago that a story in a galaxy far, far away first captured the imaginations of moviegoers around the world.

Today marks 40 years since the original Star Wars movie was released.

"A New Hope" opened on May 25, 1977.

The saga of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo and Darth Vader quickly blew away box office records and became a pop culture phenomenon.

"Star Wars" has spawned seven additional movies so far, with "Episode 8: The Last Jedi" scheduled for release in December.