HappyStar WarsDay everyone. May 4th is now recognized as an official holiday in California, helping to usher inStar Wars: Galaxy’s Edgeat Disneyland. Though, the celebration has gone worldwide and is celebrated everywhere. It probably won’t be long before ‘May the 4th Be With You’ is recognized as a global holiday. Mark Hamill, one of the last remaining main cast members of the franchise, has taken a moment out of his busy day of trolling fans on social media to wish everyone a happy one.
In the lead up to the big day, we actually got some rather sad news. Peter Mayhew, who playsChewbaccain the originalStar Warstrilogy, kicking off in 1977 withA New Hope, passed away earlier this week, bringing a down note to the proceedings. Joonas Soutamo studied under Mayhew, performing the Chewbacca stunts for Mayhew during the filming ofThe Force Awakens. He completely took over the role inThe Last JediandSolounder the full blessing of Mayhew, who was very supportive of passing the torch. Soutamo, a Swedish basketball player before jumping into the world of Hollywood, penned a heartfelt tribute to Mayhew earlier in the week. Now, he offers this for May the 4th.
Star WarsandStar Trekhave had a playful rivalry over the years. And William Shatner has gotten a lot of milage out of trolling hisStar Warscohorts. He and Carrie Fisher especially liked to go at each other, and he’s tangoed withMark Hamillon occasion, but it has always been in good fun, even if the humor turned dark on occasion, it was always coming from a good place. William Shatner was one of the first to wake up and wish the world a Happy May the 4th, sharing this on Twitter.
Earlier this week, Disney announced a soft opening for Disneyland’sStar Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, offering free reservations in four hour chunks of time. These reservations were gone in under two hours, with Galaxy’s Edge to be fully operational for preview at the end of this month. In honor of this attraction opening, the California Legislature officially voted to declare May 4th asStar Wars Day. The resolution was put forth by Democratic Assemblyman Tom Daly, and now May the 4th is as official as a holiday can be in California. To celebrate, Disney CEO Bob Iger visited Disneyland, and had this to say forStar WarsDay.
Lucasfilm did not createMay the 4thas a crass cash grab, it was actually invented by fans who truly loveStar Warsto celebrate what George Lucas gave to the world. Though it is now widely recognized across the planet with parties, special dinners,Star Warsmerchandise, karaoke and whatever other way you may find to celebrate. This is a big year for the sci-fi adventure series, as the original run of movies, which includes three different trilogies, comes to an end this December withThe Rise of Skywalker. HappyStar WarsDay, and May the 4th Be With You. Here are some other prominentStar Warsvoices also chiming in to offer a Happy May the 4th.
