Skeleton Crew’s charming, family-friendly space adventure could have been a nice refresh for the beleaguered franchise.

I’m still a Star Wars fan, so I’m looking forward to Andor Season 2 and the next Daisy Ridley Star Wars movie. I'll watch The Mandalorian & Grogu when its release date arrives next year. I just hope that at least some of these projects aren't simply chapter in the same story that we've been watching for nearly 50 years.

It’s been just over 12 years since Disney acquired the rights to the Star Wars license from George Lucas. These 12 years have had some high points and low points, but it has become increasingly obvious that the franchise is in the best place it’s been since the original trilogy ended in 1983.

From Japanese samurai flicks to gritty war movies, the visual language and tonal atmosphere of Star Wars is rooted in decades upon decades of film history. Here are 32 movies that inspired Star Wars creator George Lucas, as well as his many successors.