A ‘Star Wars’ Fan Film 40 Years in the Making

The date was May 25, 1977. 40 years ago today, Star Wars was released in theaters, quickly becoming one of the most memorable cinematic experiences of all time – forever converting a legion of fans. One such fan was Patrick Read Johnson, a filmmaker and special effects artist from Wadsworth, Illinois. In 2001, Johnson began fundraising for a semi-autobiographical, coming-of-age film centered on his experience around that initial release of Star Wars. Now, nearly sixteen years later, Johnson is finally releasing the film, aptly titled 5-25-77, to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Star Wars premiere.

I first heard about 5-25-77 back in 2012, when Harry Knowles of Ain’t It Cool News had Johnson on the fantastic show he hosted for Nerdist (god, I miss that show). Back then, the eventual release of the movie, which filmed from 2004–2006, was growing closer and now long overdue. Flash forward to 2017, and the film is finally hitting theaters today.

5-25-77 is Patrick Read Johnson’s truly indie homage to growing up as a film buff, filmmaker, kid and geek in the ’70s. The film stars John Francis Daley (Freaks and Geeks) and was written and directed by Johnson himself. Check out the trailer….

5-25-77 is playing now in theaters across the US. Visit the film’s website to find out if it’s playing at a theater near you.

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