In looking at popular searches on movies for the last five years, distinctive trends have emerged. For big-budget blockbusters with A-List stars, buzz builds months in advance -- usually when the initial trailer hits the Net. Lesser-hyped movies may do a slower and smaller build, but the result is almost always the same.

The result involves a large spike in search on the Friday the movie opens, followed by sustained searches throughout the first weekend and a eventual leveling off. Some stick around longer than others, but almost all movies meet the same fate and flatline two to three months following their debut.

There is one movie that is the exception, the outlier that defies common wisdom. I assume you know where I'm headed. To a galaxy far, far away.

Star Wars is more than a movie -- it's become a universe of dedicated fans who flock to the Internet to meet, discuss, and gather information. This sci-fi touchstone was in our top 20 movie searches when we began tracking buzz in 2000 and has never departed. It's faced some recent challenges from powerhouse trilogies Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and The Matrix. These three mighty movies have also built strong cult followings on the Web, but will they still be popular in search in 2030?

That's the true testament to the popularity of Star Wars. A film released in 1977, it's in our top 100 searches today. No other movie is quite like it. Below is a graph of the movie titans in search over the last 30 days. Luke and Leia eclipse Harry with the recent DVD release of the first three Star Wars films, while Neo and Frodo keep chugging along at a consistent pace years after their film debut.

What films do you think we'll be searching on 25 years from now? Will The Force still be with us? Are there any concepts out there in the current world of pop culture that will still resonate a quarter-century from now? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Erik Gunther
Yahoo! Buzz Index Editor