The Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (Enhanced Edition)
Page 8
VADER
That is the way, I do not fear death.
Vader also informs Ben that the deceased Jedi will soon become one with the Force—“The Emperor will block your transcendence. You cannot return to this level as long as he exists.” And Ben disappears “like a wisp of smoke.”
Early concepts of Bib Fortuna by McQuarrie, circa fall 1980.
Bib Fortuna concepts by McQuarrie.
Early concepts of the interior of Jabba’s palace by McQuarrie, circa fall 1980 (004 and unnumbered).
Concept artwork (detail) of a Sicemon taxi by McQuarrie, circa fall 1980.
Sicemon taxi concepts by McQuarrie.
In space, Lando is starting to panic because the deflector shields are still protecting the Death Stars. Below, Leia joins the other rebels at the second gun emplacement just as Han and Chewbacca each take over one of the walkers. Leia and Captain Jode charge the bunker, but they close the blast doors. The land battle becomes fierce.
On the city-planet, Vader brings Luke before the Emperor in his lava lair.
VADER
Kneel before your Emperor.
The dark lord threatens him with the lazer sword and the young Jedi stands fast. The Emperor’s head is lowered.
LUKE
I kneel before no one, least of all him.
The Emperor raises his head and stares at Luke. A sly, evil grin creeps across the ruler’s lips.
EMPEROR
You are every inch your father when he first came before me. A Jedi with such promise … only you come to destroy me, and your father. It is a pity you overestimate your abilities. You may succeed with your father, but with me you will fail.
Johnston concept illustration of Sicemon, late 1980 (no. 29, with approval “G”); detail of a McQuarrie painting of the same, circa late 1980.
A shuttle concept by Rodis-Jamero, late 1980/early 1981.
Concept artwork of “flying taxis” on the planet Sicemon, by Nilo Rodis-Jamero, early 1981; other concepts featured whale-like transports, while this one opts for turtle-like.
Johnston concepts of flying bird-like taxis (in one, the droids are on the ground with Chewie and Luke, who waves, perhaps to Han aboard the taxi), early 1981.
Sicemon taxi concepts by Johnston.
“Imperial Transport” concept by Rodis-Jamero, December 1980.
A new voice is heard on the far side of the steaming lake.
BEN
It is you who overestimates your abilities.
Vader and the Emperor turn to see the shimmering image of Obi-Wan Kenobi standing before them. The Emperor laughs.
EMPEROR
At last you appear before me, Obi-Wan.
BEN
The boy has many allies. He is stronger than you imagine.
EMPEROR
Allies? If they are all as you, I have no concern, for the netherworld has no control over me. And if you return to this dimension, I will easily defeat you.
BEN
There is no entrance to the netherworld through the dark side. You know very little of its powers.
EMPEROR
I know it is not strong enough to save this boy.
BEN
Perhaps the boy will be sacrificed, but you will be destroyed as well.
VADER
My son will not be destroyed, he will turn to the dark side.
The Emperor and Vader are startled as another voice is heard.
YODA
Stronger than you is the boy. Turn he will not.
EMPEROR
Yoda!
The Emperor stands and backs away.
EMPEROR
No, it cannot be.
YODA
I survived, as did many others.
EMPEROR
But Skywalker will not survive. Destroy him!
“Black-tufted Yuzzum (adolescent male)” concept by Johnston, late 1980 (LEFT, no. 005); another Yuzzum concept by Johnston, late 1980 (RIGHT, no. 045).
The Ewok Teebo steals an Imperial rocket bike to create a diversion, as described in the rough draft, concept sketch by Johnston, late 1980/early 1981 (no. 053, with Lucas’s red dot of approval).
Ewok concept by Johnston.
Ewok concepts by Rodis-Jamero.
Vader hesitates, which makes the Emperor angry.
EMPEROR
Destroy him, I said! They can do nothing.
Vader raises his hand, but before he can bring it down, Luke reaches out his hand and a lazer sword sitting near the throne leaps into it. Luke ignites the lazer sword and blocks his father’s blow. A quick sword exchange and Luke forces Vader back. Another exchange and the dark lord recovers, pushing the young Jedi onto a small rock surrounded by the bubbling pool of lava …
On the moon, Han runs his Walker straight into another Walker. More Ewaks show up, attacking the stormtroopers and their vehicles. Efforts by Han to drag the doors off the bunker fail. Finally he hits on the idea of tricking them into coming outside, performing as several characters on the intercom.
In the throne room, the battle of wills continues:
EMPEROR
You are old and weak, Lord Vader. Had you destroyed the boy, you would have been given half the Empire to rule as you will, now the boy shall have that honor.
LUKE
It is your Emperor that wishes you destroyed, not I.
Vader looks at the Emperor, then back to his son.
VADER
Finish it!
Concept art for the Emperor’s guard (with red dot of approval, LEFT) and Jabba’s guard (RIGHT) by McQuarrie, early 1981.
Imperial guard concepts by McQuarrie.
Preparatory pencil drawing for painting of Vader leading Luke into the Emperor’s palace, by McQuarrie.
Concept art by Rodis-Jamero of Darth Vader and Luke approaching “Emperor’s Castle,” late 1980 (Lucas had perhaps spoken of the castle as being Gothic in style as several artworks explore that avenue).
Production painting by McQuarrie of Vader leading Luke into the Emperor’s palace, circa late 1980/early 1981 (again, the palace has a gothic look).
Luke looks at the Emperor, then to his father
LUKE
No, you are my father and there is still good in you. I only fight in self-defense. Not to do your Emperor’s bidding.
With that Luke extinguishes the Emperor’s lazer sword and tosses it to his father, who ignites it as he catches it.
EMPEROR
The boy is a fool; destroy him.
Vader hesitates, then raises the lazer sword.
EMPEROR
Destroy him and half the Empire will be yours …
The Emperor stands in a rage.
EMPEROR
What are you waiting for? Must I do it myself?
The Emperor turns his back on Vader and faces the young Jedi, raising his hands in the air, which causes lightning bolts to strike at Luke. The Jedi raises his hand in defense and the bolts are deflected by an invisible shield. Wherever a bolt hits, the image of Ben or Yoda momentarily appears at the point of impact.
EMPEROR
Your friends in the netherworld cannot protect you for long, young Skywalker.
The lightning bolts become more intense and Luke drops to his knees under the pressure.
EMPEROR
This is the power of the dark side that you deny. Your strength will never match it.
Luke struggles to remain conscious against the superior power of the Emperor.
LUKE
Ben, help me … Yoda …
EMPEROR
I have foreseen my destruction at the hands of a Skywalker. But it is not to be you, perhaps there is another … or perhaps your father will be turned … my vision is clouded … the netherworld has influenced my perception … your father!
The Emperor turns around to see Lord Vader flying at him. The lightning bolts around Luke disappear as Vader hits the Emperor, knocking them both into the fiery lake of lava. The hideous screams of the Emperor are
soon muted. Luke struggles to his feet and stares at the spot where his enemy and his father disappeared into the cauldron of molten rock.
Meanwhile, Han and Leia and their forces fire the second gun at the shield generator on Had Abbadon and it explodes. The rebel fleet then fires proton torpedoes into the half-constructed Death Star; in the distance the second Death Star also explodes in a great ball of flame.
At the celebration in the Ewak village, Han observes Luke and Leia, and marvels that they are brother and sister.
LEIA
It’s over, he’s gone, and the Emperor along with him.
LUKE
And Ben and Yoda.
LEIA
But the Republic is alive, and so are we.
They stop on the edge of the clearing where the celebration is taking place. Leia gives her new found brother a great big hug. They are quickly surrounded by Ewaks and friends. Leia turns and gives Han a big hug and passionate kiss. Everyone cheers and yells as they all move closer to the bonfire. Sadly, Luke wanders back into the forest alone. Leia starts to go after him, but is stopped by Han.
HAN
He needs to be alone […]
Luke sits on a log with his head in his hands. The sounds of the celebration only serve to make him feel worse. A familiar voice breaks his melancholy.
BEN’S VOICE
Luke, you should be celebrating. The Emperor is gone and there is a future for the galaxy.
Luke looks up and sees Ben move out of the darkness into the moonlit glade. He is not a shimmering image, but real flesh and blood. Luke stands in surprise.
LUKE
Ben, you’ve come back!
BEN
My need to stay in the netherworld has been resolved. Your father turned to the good side and I was able to disrupt his journey.
Luke turns to see an old man emerge from the darkness of the forest.
BEN
Here is the good Skywalker. My old friend and your father …
Luke rushes to his father and embraces him. Yoda steps into the glen and looks up at them.
YODA
A reason for celebration this is …
The joyous celebration is in full swing. Everyone is dancing and singing. Han and Leia dance arm and arm. Luke, his father, and Ben laugh as little Artoo spins around in circles to the music. Chewie slaps Lando on the back, almost knocking him over.
Threepio is carried on the shoulders of eight Ewaks in a litter. He is a little confused and dismayed at all the attention he is getting. The furry little Ewaks set the golden droid down on a raised platform and bow before him as the dancing continues. Several young female Ewaks place a garland of flowers around Threepio’s head, and he waves at the crowd. Quietly watching the festivities from the side is Yoda, the Jedi Master. He scans the crowd picking out Artoo, Threepio, Lando and Chewie, Han and Leia, and finally Ben, Luke and his father. He lets out a great sigh.
Production illustration of the Emperor’s Art Deco lair by McQuarrie, circa March 1981.
Exploratory thumbnails by McQuarrie for an eventual painting of a corridor leading to the Emperor’s lair.
Production illustration of the Emperor’s Art Deco lair by McQuarrie, circa March 1981. “I only did eight illustrations to capture the atmosphere,” McQuarrie says. “And six additional pieces featuring story elements which were dropped in preproduction” [sic] (the actual count may number a few more than 14).
Exploratory thumbnails by McQuarrie that led to his painting of the Emperor’s volcanic locale.
* * *
DIRECTORS CUT
FEBRUARY TO JUNE 1981
CHAPTER TWO
The constant negotiations between Lucasfilm and Fox prompted general counsel Marilyn Melkonian to remark to Sid Ganis, Lucasfilm’s head of marketing, that they should introduce a contractual clause that would oblige the studio to pick up transportation costs for personnel traveling to and from Los Angeles. Three days later, she sent to top brass a confidential analysis of Fox’s latest proposal: a joint venture.
In short, Fox was willing to give Lucasfilm certain rights over the original Star Wars if the film studio received a better deal on video rights, distribution, and merchandising for Empire and Jedi. Instead of $25 million, Fox would invest $10 million in Jedi, and Lucasfilm would have to guarantee its completion, not only to its own lender, but also to the joint venture. (The failure to provide for an overrun contingency in connection with Empire had weakened Lucasfilm’s bargaining position and was the cause of a premature negotiation of terms for Jedi back in February 1980.) Melkonian’s conclusion was that the joint venture was not in Lucasfilm’s best interest. Over the next five years, the fledgling company would stand to lose approximately $20.4 million in theatrical and merchandising ventures (including publishing and music), which would not be offset by the improved potential revenues from exploitation of video rights and theatrical rights for Star Wars.
“Before he’d left, Charlie had put together this deal, which I didn’t like,” Greber would say. “When Charlie left, I took over the negotiations. I went in and said, ‘We put a deal on the table. Do you accept it?’ And they never accept anything, so they said, ‘No, this is what we want.’ I said, ‘Well, if that’s the case, all negotiations are off. There is no offer. Goodbye. We start from zero.’ George loved that, but it created a huge problem …”
DIRECTORS, PHASE II
Having wrapped up their recce and meetings, Watts and Reynolds returned to London. At Lucasfilm, unit supervisor Miki Herman took up the location challenge, tasked with finding a forest home for the diminutive Ewoks. For reference, Herman was given a few McQuarrie production paintings originally created as Wookiee homeland concepts for Empire. She remembers: “Jim Bloom said to me, ‘This is yours. We are looking for private property, a forest where they’ll let us build a set and let us stage a small battle. Have a good time.’ ”
Kazanjian continued to hunt for a director and, if necessary, a writer. The former would have to be someone who could continue the style established by Lucas and Kershner, and who had a good sense of humor, a vivid imagination, and talent. They would also have to be able to deal with a huge number of visual effects. “Some directors can’t handle that,” Kazanjian notes. “For over a year, I’d been looking at directors’ features and their second features and their television shows. We weren’t looking for Stanley Kubrick. We weren’t looking for Robert Wise. We weren’t looking for a big name director. We were looking for a good, sharp, rather young director with a mind of his own, who could go out and direct his picture, but at the same time do it George’s way or the way that had been established twice before.”
“By this time these movies had gotten to be like television shows,” Lucas would say. “The hierarchy of the way television shows work creatively is very much different from a motion picture, where the creative control lies with the director. In television, the executive producer is pretty much the creator or overseer, and works on the scripts and comes up with ideas for the scripts, while the director fills the obligation of working with the actors and getting it on the screen.”
As of March 1, 1981, Kazanjian and Lucas were in London for the recording of John Williams’s music for Raiders. The first UK Jedi production meeting took place two days later, with Lucas, Kazanjian, Watts, Bloom, and Reynolds attending. Afterward Lucas and Kazanjian discussed their talent search. “We’d read many scripts, mostly by American writers,” says Kazanjian. “For the directors, I’d made very copious notes. I tried to get into their brain to see where they were coming from.”