The film world seemed to change in 1977 when Star Wars exploded onto the scene. Jaws may have opened the door for the modern day blockbuster but Star Wars busted through it, taking the world by storm and Hollywood by surprise. Just like many of the other films on this list, Star Wars' success was improbable. Twentieth Century Fox only made the picture because they wanted George Lucas to make other films for them. They had such little faith in the film that they gave the merchandising rights to George Lucas in lieu of part of his salary. The ensuing merchandise explosion allowed George to take control of the franchise and control his own destiny.
