World Report: January 17, 1997 Vol.2 No.14

Spotlight: George Lucas

Fuzzy Ewoks, blubbery Jabba the Hutt and flashy light sabers in the Star Wars movies have dazzled audiences for 20 years. Box-office and video sales of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi total more than $800 million. But filmmaker George Lucas wasn't satisfied. Blurry shots and missing scenes in the originals, he says, "bothered me a great deal."

Now Han, Leia and Luke will be back on the big screen. The huge rerelease sparkles with crisper special effects and freaky new creatures. Lucas is also working on new chapters to the story. Is the classic trilogy better than ever? May the force be with you as you find out: Vader and his foes crash into movie theaters beginning January 31.