Questions
When did The Last Starfighter come out and who made it?
It was released on July 13, 1984 by Universal Pictures. It was directed by Nick Castle and written by Jonathan R. Betuel.
What is the movie about?
A trailer-park teenager named Alex Rogan gets the high score on an arcade game that turns out to be a secret recruitment simulation, then is drafted into an intergalactic war. He fights for the peaceful Rylan Star League against the oppressive Ko-Dan Empire.
Who starred in it?
It stars Lance Guest as Alex Rogan, along with Dan O’Herlihy, Catherine Mary Stewart, and Robert Preston.
Why is this movie a big deal for special effects history?
Along with Disney’s Tron (1982), it is considered one of cinema’s earliest films to use extensive real-life computer-generated imagery. Digital Productions created about 27 minutes of effects on a Cray X-MP supercomputer, which was considered enormous computing power at the time.
How detailed was the CGI for its era?
Each of roughly 300 CGI scenes contained approximately 250,000 polygons rendered at 3000 by 5000 resolution, which was cutting edge in 1984.
Was Robert Preston’s role written for him?
Yes. The alien recruiter Centauri was written specifically for Robert Preston as a nod to his role in The Music Man (1962). It also turned out to be his final theatrical film role.
How did the writer come up with the idea?
Betuel reportedly conceived the story after seeing a boy in an arcade and reading The Once and Future King.
Who played the reptilian alien co-pilot Grig?
Dan O’Herlihy played Grig, the reptilian Navigator. In the story, Grig is also the one who developed the experimental Death Blossom weapon that Alex triggers in the climactic battle.
Who designed the Gunstar spacecraft?
The Gunstar was designed by Ron Cobb, who had previously worked on Alien, Star Wars, and Conan the Barbarian.
What was the Beta unit?
The Beta unit is an android double of Alex left behind on Earth. It was created as a practical effect by makeup artist Lance Anderson before it took on Alex’s appearance.
Is that Wil Wheaton in the movie?
Wil Wheaton appears in background scenes, but his dialogue was cut from the film.
Was there ever a Last Starfighter video game?
Atari planned an arcade game but abandoned it after seeing the film in post-production, deeming it financially unviable. Home versions were developed but never released under the Last Starfighter name, and the computer version became Star Raiders II. A freeware PC version was later released by Rogue Synapse in 2007.
How was the film received?
It holds a 76% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 67 on Metacritic, and Roger Ebert gave it 2.5 out of 4 stars. It went on to develop a strong cult following over time.
How much did it cost and make?
It was made on a budget of about $15 million and earned roughly $28.7 million domestically.
Was there ever a stage version or a sequel?
An off-Broadway stage musical opened in 2004 with music and lyrics by Skip Kennon. As of October 2020, writer Jonathan Betuel and screenwriter Gary Whitta were developing a sequel script, though rights complications between Universal and Warner Bros. persisted.
