How many studios rejected Star Wars before it got made?

The answer

When George Lucas began shopping Star Wars in 1973, his pitch confused virtually everyone who heard it. United Artists, Universal, and Disney were among the studios that rejected the project. Only Alan Ladd Jr. at 20th Century Fox greenlit it, largely because he wanted a relationship with Lucas following the critical and commercial success of American Graffiti (1973), which earned a Best Picture Oscar nomination. Even Fox had so little confidence that they let Lucas retain sequel rights and merchandising control - a decision that proved catastrophic for the studio, as those rights made Lucas a billionaire. Many Fox executives opposed the production internally, and theaters were reluctant to screen the film. Star Wars opened on May 25, 1977, earned $775 million worldwide, and became the highest-grossing film in history at the time.