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Last update: 2005-07-13 22:04:25

< Star Wars Episode II Preview - 2 TV Show Ideas >

The long awaited (at least until that trailer with the kissing was unveiled) Star Wars prequel “Attack of the Clones� is coming to a cinema near you very very soon. In fact, it will probably be out right now as you read this. So there is no point in doing another Episode 2 preview since anything I come up with will probably be not half as weird (or as cheesily and badly done) as some of the stuff actually in it.

But what happened when making the classic trilogy? Here Mike-Net reveals all:

• The rumour that the Millennium Falcon was to be destroyed is untrue – this rumour stemmed from dirty lies from George Lucas’ evil enemies.
• In an early draft of Star Wars, Han Solo was Luke Skywalker’s sister.
• In another early draft of Star Wars, ‘Anakin Jabba Jedi’ was a bounty hunter-come-shopkeeper who dealt in miniature automated ‘light swords’ – a kind of decorative lamp.
• The planet Tatooine was originally envisioned as a place similar to George Lucas’ back garden
• Return of the Jedi was originally not going to feature a second Death Star – the initial script called for Luke Skywalker to go over to the dark side because he was upset that Leia fancied Han and not him. In an effort to turn him back, Yoda appears and reveals that Leia is his sister, and so he should not worry. Luke returns to the good side, kills the Emperor, Darth Vader becomes good and they go back to live on the farm on Tatooine.
• A later draft had wacky amphibian creatures called the Gun-guns who provided hilarious comedy turns! Fortunately, this idea was resurrected for the Phantom Menace.
• The name ‘Star Wars’ came from an anagram of “Raw Tarsâ€?, a pet project of Francis Coppola in the 1970s (he was unable to find a backer for his tale of Tar monsters on the moon. This was later re- imagined with humans as Apocalypse Now)
• Fox were initially hesitant to release a film with ‘war’ in title, before realising that war is, like, cool.
• Lightsabres were the target of a plagiarism suit by manufacturers of those Calypso lolly things.
• Luke Skywalker’s name in an early version was G. Lucas StarBlaster.
• The film was banned in Kentucky in 1977 because it was thought to be a waste of Alec Guinness.
• It is often quoted that Alec Guinness hated Star Wars. This is in fact untrue – he just hated everything about it, especially George Lucas.
• Initial casting had James Earl Jones playing Darth Vader and David Prowse doing his voice.
• Chewbacca was played by a dog with fake arms in some scenes.
• 3P0 was imagined to have a beard.
• Darth Vader’s mask was designed because Dave Prowse was deemed too ugly. The mask is based on his own face.
• The movie was originally going to have a progressive rock score, provided by Yes. Lucas was pursuaded to allow John Williams to score it after hearing some music by Yes.
• George Lucas does not have a big building full of money which he dives into like Scrooge McDuck. He does indeed have a big building full of money, but diving into it would be impossible because money is really hard and he would break his neck and die.
• George Lucas went to school with a boy called Garth Vayda.

News just in from George Lucas' incredible imaginative mind - Indiana Jones 4 will be called Indiana Jones and the Ring of Power, and will be set in 1957! Indy must beat the Commie Russians to the ring of dark power (not the one from Lord Of The Rings!), so he can take it back to its rightful home at a New York museum and not allow the resurrection of the dark lord Sauron. (not the one from Lord of the Rings!)

< Star Wars Episode II Preview - 2 TV Show Ideas >

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