That Time Star Wars Sued ‘Battlestar Galactica’

It’s hard to overstate what a game-changing success Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope was when it was released for the first time in theaters in the summer of 1977. While Jaws had essentially created the “summer blockbuster” model two years prior, George Lucas’ adventure epic was a novelty in that it was based entirely on an original idea. The film also belonged to the science fiction genre, which had been considered “dead” for many years in Hollywood. The extraordinary success of Star Wars led to the resurgence of space operas, paving the way forshows like Battlestar Galactica to exist.

First premiering in 1978, Battlestar Galactica was an epic space adventure that took place in the distant future, where a group of human survivors live on the titular spacecraft while in search of a new home. Although civilization has reformed and the ship is equipped with many brave pilots, the Galactica is hunted down by the merciless Cylons, a group of sentient robots intent on destroying humanity. With its memorable characters, incredible technical prowess, and inventive action sequences, Battlestar Galactica was a perfect treat for Star Wars fans who were waiting three long years for The Empire Strikes Back to hit theaters. However, 20th Century Fox felt that Battlestar Galactica was too similar to Star Wars, and filed a lawsuit against Universal.

‘Battlestar Galactica’ Did Have Many Similarities to Star Wars

Battlestar Galactica was conceived by Glen A. Larson, who claimed in court documents that the idea for the series had first come to him in the late 1960s while he was working on adventure shows such as The Fall Guy and The Fugitive. On a narrative level, Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica were fairly distinct; Star Wars was framed as a piece of mythology that took place in a galaxy far, far away, while Battlestar Galactica served as a dire warning about the evils of technology. However, Fox felt that Battlestar Galactica had “spoiled” the market for science fiction programming. According to J.W. Rinzler’s nonfiction book The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas’ frustration with Battlestar Galactica stemmed from a dispute with visual effects supervisor John Dykstra.

Dykstra was an inventive artist for Industrial Lights and Magic who had contributed to the unique aesthetics of the original Star Wars film; unlike the polished, slick look of science fiction classics like Forbidden Planet or The Wars of the Worlds, Star Wars existed in a grungy, worn-down universe where the technology had been deteriorating after years of use. Lucas felt that Dykstra had utilized the same design techniques for Star Wars on Battlestar Galactica, and did not invite him to work on The Empire Strikes Back. Merchandising was also a matter of concern. Fox had generated significant profits from the action figures, games, and models inspired by the first Star Wars movie, which Lucas owned the rights to; due to the similarities, Lucas grew concerned that consumers would confuse Battlestar Galactica merchandise for Star Wars toys.

Fox’s lawsuit also pointed to several key plot similarities between Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica. Battlestar Galactica featured a young heroine, Cassiopeia (Laurette Spang-McCook), who was imprisoned by evil totalitarian forces; Fox felt this was too similar to the role that Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) inhabited in the original Star Wars. Similarly, a moment where the crew of the Galactica enjoys a musical performance by an alien band was thought to be too derivative of the famous Mos Eisley cantina sequence. Battlestar Galactica’s dogfight action sequences were also broadly similar to the Death Star assault, as both properties featured pilots using signature callsigns that evoked comparisons to classic World War II adventure films.

‘Battlestar Galactica’ Survived the Fox Lawsuit

While Fox managed to present the overarching similarities between the two projects, the court was convinced that Star Wars was an entirely original project. Universal was also successful in pointing out that Star Wars was very derivative of many classic science fiction projects, including the 1972 film Silent Running and the adventure serial Buck Rogers. Lucas had admitted to being inspired by the classic serial Flash Gordon, and had briefly considered purchasing the rights to make an adaptation.The issue was ultimately resolved without trial after Fox dismissed the copyright claims in 1980.

Larson had fought hard to prove that his series was worth considering as its own unique project, but Battlestar Galactica was canceled quickly after its first season. High production costs led ABC to develop the low-budget spin-off Galactica 1980, which also performed poorly and was canceled after only airing ten episodes. While the original shows never lived up to their potential, they earned a passionate cult following among science fiction buffs, many of whom were Star Wars fans. This led Battlestar Galactica to eventually have a successful reboot in 2004 from Star Trek: The Next Generation writer Ronald D. Moore.

‘Battlestar Galactica’ and ‘Star Wars’ Both Had Successful Continuations

Ironically, Battlestar Galactica may have benefited from Star Wars‘ popularity yet again in the early 21st century. Despite divisive reviews, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace proved that audiences were still interested in space epics, perhaps indirectly enabling the SYFY network to move forward with its Battlestar Galactica reboot. With a bigger budget, characters with more depth, and a clear narrative direction, the Battlestar Galactica reboot managed to supersede its predecessor in every way.

While they were both seen as “escapist entertainment,” both the Battlestar Galactica reboot and the Star Wars prequel trilogy were more expressly political in nature. Battlestar Galactica was one of the first major drama shows that addressed post-9/11 concerns about sleeper cells, the war on terrorism, and foreign occupation; similarly, Lucas used the prequel trilogy to analyze how a democracy could turn into a totalitarian dictatorship.

Battlestar Galactica is streaming on Prime Video in the U.S.

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