Uncovering the Star Wars World

Uncovering the Star Wars World: The Land, Labour and Nature of a Media Empire reveals the deep, overlooked relationship between Britain and the global Star Wars franchise, showing how British resources built one of the world’s most influential media empires.Reframing Star Wars beyond its American branding, Rebecca Harrison exposes a transnational enterprise rooted in Britain’s imperial infrastructure, extractive economies, and working cultures. Taking a "history-from-below" approach to nearly fifty years of production, Harrison spotlights the stories usually erased from official franchise lore—from below-the-line crew and local communities to the wildlife impacted by location shoots.Tracing the saga across studio soundstages, quarries, military supply chains, and forests in England, Scotland, and Wales, Harrison demonstrates how galaxy-building intersects with class, land rights, and environmental degradation. She shows how these forces manifest materially in everything from aluminium droids to digital effects pipelines.Critical yet generous, Uncovering the Star Wars World invites readers to enjoy the saga while confronting the political, ecological, and historical forces that make it possible. As Star Wars approaches its 50th anniversary, this book provides an essential reflection on the real-world costs of blockbuster filmmaking.