The Empire Strikes Back First Draft by Leigh Brackett (1978) [pdf]

Post by fbdab103 » Mon, Feb 12, 2024, 12:45 AM UTC

Modified3019 wrote: post #18

saghm wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, what strikes me about this line isn't even that Vader isn't Luke's father, but how wordy he is. I imagine they didn't spend too much time on phrasing and instead just tried to capture the gist with the expectation of polishing later, but even with the James Earl Jones's trademark slow, menacing Vader drawl, this just feels like it would sound weirdly verbose coming from Vader, especially in the middle of a…

You can experience a verbose Vader for real, thanks to Auralnauts bringing Zack Snyder’s vision to the Star Wars franchise: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J9X_FmCbrIA

Post by fbdab103 » Mon, Feb 12, 2024, 12:50 AM UTC

PotatoPancakes wrote: post #4

Look on page 117 of the PDF (the paper says 113): > Vader: You're very good, Luke. But I'm twenty years older and stronger than you in the use of the Force. You haven't a chance with me... any more than your father had. This draft was written before they came up with the idea that Vader could actually be Luke's father!

Post by pinewurst » Mon, Feb 12, 2024, 1:16 AM UTC

nyrath wrote: post #30

caslon wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Much of what you actually see in Empire is written by entirely different people. > George Lucas initially hired Leigh Brackett, the sci-fi novelist who also wrote screenplays for Howard Hawks—including The Big Sleep (1946)—to write the sequel to Star Wars (1977). Brackett died in March 1978 while the film was still in pre-production, though, and Lucas wasn't satisfied with her script. Lucas wrote the next draft himse…

Leigh Brackett also wrote the screenplays for The Big Sleep (1946), Rio Bravo (1959), and The Long Goodbye (1973)

Post by PlunderBunny » Mon, Feb 12, 2024, 1:26 AM UTC

fbdab103 wrote: post #72

notahacker wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And if you think that's a big deal to introduce a change like that, let's not forget that Lucas' first draft for A New Hope had Luke Skywalker as an elderly general, "Annikin Starkiller" as the protagonist, Chewbacca as a leader of a tribe of Wookies behaving very much like the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi (and a presumably-unrelated human pilot called Chewie!) and Han Solo as a giant green alien...

Taking place on a planet of Wookies would make the Empire losing the ground battle make significantly more sense. Legend has it that it was changed to Ewoks for the kid toy opportunities.

Post by WalterBright » Mon, Feb 12, 2024, 1:43 AM UTC

throw_m239339 wrote: post #78

WalterBright wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Vader" actually means "father"

> "Vader" actually means "father" In what language? Isn't it "Vater" in German?