An Empire of Dreams: A World where the Magic of Star Wars lived on

[RedTerra]

I hate directing. You go to work knowing just how you want a scene to be, but by the end of the day, you’re usually depressed because you didn’t do a good enough job. It’s hard enough just to walk through it, let alone direct the actors, move the equipment. It was easy to let go of directing.
-George Lucas, 1980

Filmmaking is, first and foremost, a collaborative process. It's about working together and compromising to get the best result. Friction. Or as my friend here likes to call, balance. And if anyone who tells you otherwise... well, they're not making blockbuster modern timeless mythologies like us, are they? [1]
-Gary Kurtz, 1985

APRIL 1980
SKYWALKER RANCH

George Lucas massaged his temples.

He had just called Irvin Kershner in England from California, telling his mentor to attend the London opening of the Empire Strikes Back without him. That George Lucas didn't want to take credit when Irvin Kershner clearly was responsible for much of the Empire Strikes Backs.[2]

The Empire Strikes Back was finally finished and ready to become the next global phenomena next month.

He should be excited. Relieved. Or at worst, anxious if the sequel can capture that same magic with the audience.

And yet, as he sat behind his desk at the newly bought Skywalker Ranch, his eyes glanced over to the stack of papers and then to the countless sticky notes plastered on the wall and elsewhere on his desk. The latter of which burrowed deep into his anxiety as they plainly read in bold bright marker text:

'DELAY!', 'OVER BUDGET!', 'BANK OF AMERICA LOAN!', 'FOX STUDIO PRESSURE!', 'DIRECTOR'S GUILD!', 'Feedback: TOO DARK!', and more.

He covered his mouth before sliding his hand down to breath in, and breathe out. The production of the sequel was taxing on him, even though he didn't direct it. Gary Kurtz, his co-creator and producer, had reached out to Irvin Kershner, their former film mentor, to direct the film. With Gary Kurtz and Kershner on location shooting, Lucas was in California helping out with the visual effects and handling the administrative duties to keep Star Wars independent from studio control and other responsibilities. But now he was wondering if he regretted handing over so much control and freedom to the two as they went overbudget and were weeks behind schedule.

External pressure from Fox, Bank of America, and the Director's Guild of America put the franchise at jeopardy.

And his relationship at home was deteriorating.

He leaned back into his chair and stared at the ceiling.

One at a time... he thought.

If he was to save the franchise he and others built, he had to calmly and rationally tackle the problems individually, one at a time.

He scanned across the post-it notes before landing on 'DIRECTOR'S GUILD!'. The Directors Guild of America were threatening to fine Irvin Kershner for crediting George Lucas in the opening of the film. Or more specifically, the guild saw the Lucasfilm logo before the opening crawl to be a cloaked attempt for Lucas to take credit before the director.

He was presented with two choices. Either resign from the DGA and risk losing out on the pool of directors but keeping the integrity and name of his independent production company, or remove the credit, leaving only the 20th Century Fox sequence in.

However, a third possibility arose.[3] Having discussed with Gary Kurtz on the phone, despite the timezone differences, Kurtz suggested why not rename the company to something more 'palatable' to the guild, unfortunately striking out Lucas' name but ensuring the future pool of directors to choose from with the franchise.

Lucas, having had their relationship strained over creative differences, weighed the options and was about to stand his ground, pay the fines the DGA had against Kershner, and resign from the DGA, maintaining his integrity against the establishment.

But then, an epiphanic moment struck him. Almost half a decade of sweat and tears from everyone on board, from him to Kurtz to the actors to the production crew, all at risk in the long term all because he didn't compromise.

It came off selfish. Mayhaps it was the stress? It had to be.

He was always known to be humble and modest. He had just told Kershner to go to the London screening without Lucas.

He picked up the phone and waited for some time before it got through.

"Kurtz? Yeah, I thought about it... what do you think about 'LightWorks Ltd.'?"

______________________________________________________________________________________

Evening, peeps.

So, like a handful, Star Wars played a important part in my childhood and serves as a beacon of hope, inspiration, and entertainment. I don't think I need to detail why so I'll cut straight to the cheese.

I've been rewatching Star Wars and more curiously, the behind the scenes stories that aren't often covered. Namely the breakup of Gary Kurtz and George Lucas. Lucas often cited as the 'visionary' with his creative fertile mind while Gary Kurtz played a more on-the-ground, practical, approachable role and making Lucas' vision a reality to a large extent.

And Gary Kurtz was the one person who could say 'No' to Lucas. That's not to say Kurtz is the sole savior of Star Wars had he taken over as you can argue his time after Star Wars wasn't that glorious with the Dark Crystal film, but you can say the same thing for Lucas too with ROTJ, the Prequels, etc. But the point is that when the two were with one another, to offer ideas, feedback, friction, balance, they created two of my and many people's favorite films of all time.

You could say Lucas was the brains while Kurtz was the heart of Star Wars.

And I, having read deeper in that and the weight of the stress on Lucas, think it's safe to stand by and say that it was this breakup along with other external and unfortunately personal issues that, while many fans like to claim Lucas killed Star Wars with the Prequels or Disney killed Star Wars because of oversaturation or some silly 'agenda', I think it was this breakup that killed Star Wars.

Hyperbolic, yes. I still really, really enjoy Disney Star Wars despite it sometimes feeling like too much fanservice and not much originality. And the prequels I can see bits of brilliance despite the pretty awful execution. But I do think Star Wars and its future to this day could have been in a much healthier and better condition had the worked through their issues and helped overcome the external threats... together.

So yeah, this timeline focuses on what could have happened to Star Wars from the 80s onwards from a behind the scenes, story, and impact on the world perspective if Gary Kurtz and George Lucas continued their relationship to create a modern mythology whose magic lived on...

[1] Fictitious quote, though hint hint at the year...
[2] Serious kudos to George Lucas here since he historically did do this. He phoned Kershner to take the credit. So, yeah, awfully decent of Lucas.
[3] Historically George Lucas stood his ground, resigned from the DGA, and kept the Lucasfilm credit in there, which meant he couldn't hire any directors who're members in it, it applying to Americans mostly. Which was one of the main reasons why Lucas picked Richard Marquand, a British filmmaker.

 

[RedTerra]

MAY 1980
SKYWALKER RANCH

It was, and wasn't easy for Lucas to rename his company.

Easy in the sense that all he had to do was simply change the text from:

To:​

​

Yet it was hard for him to 'capitulate' to the establishment Director's Guild of America. He gave up his 'sovereignty' and 'integrity' all because they saw his name in Lucasfilm as a covert attempt to take credit. In some ways he thought the DGA just were scared of people like Lucas and the rise of new filmmakers eclipsed the old breed, and are just trying to suck money out of his creation.

For better or worse, Gary Kurtz was able to help convince him to reconsider and Lucas decided upon LightWorks. At the very least, while he still had to fork over $250,000 to the guild's shameful crooked greed, he still had membership in the DGA which Kurtz believed would give Lucas access to a talented pool of directors to helm future films.

With Irvin Kershner humbly bowing out after spending two long years working hard to bring Lucas' and Kurtz' vision to the big screen, the two realized they needed to start searching for the next director for the third film.

But first they had to wait and see the audience's reaction the sequel.

Kurtz arrived in California as soon as he could. Having not seen one another in months, they left the airport and arrived at Skywalker Ranch where the first thing they did was seat themselves in the personal theater and watched their film in motion for the first time together.

"You couldn't imagine how many takes it took to get that right," Kurtz chuckled, pointing at the screen.

"And that's why we're not directors," Lucas jibed.

As the film progressed, Lucas couldn't help but wish Kershner and Kurtz stuck to a more traditional approach to cinematography.[1] There was a clear lack of master shots. It was a clear departure from A New Hope which he directed and filmed from a traditional background. He brought up his concern to which Kurtz answered back.

"What Kershner and the DOP were going for is a more... modern, personal and intimate approach I think. I really believe they nailed the mood, the atmosphere, the emotions. Don't you?"

​

George rubbed him chin, watching the film with that perspective, then nodded. "Maybe the delay was worth it then..."

Kurtz smiled, having been able to convince Lucas as Irvin did with him. With Lucas won over, he hoped the world would be too.

Nevertheless, at the back of Kurtz' and Lucas' heads, the one thing they worried the most but dared not even to bring it up, was how much darker the sequel was.

Have they, possibly in hindsight, gone too dark?

​

[1] Historically George Lucas wasn't a fan of the cinematography and style of the Empire Strikes Back. But because Kershner, Kurtz, and the crew already shot portions of the film, were behind, and Lucas not there to meddle/micromanage, we got one of the most beautiful films as each scene was almost designed to be beautifully staged and shot. You can see how A New Hope and Return of the Jedi seriously felt like a visual downgrade.

 

[CountDVB]

This should be pretty interesting to say the least.

What do you think of the Jar Jar Binks Sith Lord theory?

How would this impact Star Wars spinoffs and extended canon?

 

[RedTerra]

This should be pretty interesting to say the least.

What do you think of the Jar Jar Binks Sith Lord theory?

How would this impact Star Wars spinoffs and extended canon?

Thanks! I also added some footnotes to clarify some historical facts and where there's deviations. I apologize for the rookie mistakes as this is my first TL ^^;

Regarding Jar Jar Binks, I think it's interesting and I could see it being a shocking twist had they hinted at it more in Episode 1. Like, towards the end of Episode 1 it'd tease you about Jar Jar's actual ominous past for Episode 2. But since it was too subtle in the background, underplayed, and people universally didn't notice it, Lucas just threw up his arms and threw Jar Jar under the bus.

Are you asking about how Darth Jar Jar would impact the spinoffs and extended canon or my timeline?

I will say if it's the latter, don't expect me to just change a little thing here and a little thing there like: "Oh, for the prequels, instead of Naboo, it's Alderaan to tie the prequels and originals together."

No, I honestly wish we saw more radical reimaginings of what the prequels and sequels could have been instead of 'lore fixes' that most bring up. And I hope to contribute some massive reimaginings of where Star Wars will go had Kurtz and Lucas stayed together, so stay tuned

 

[RedTerra]

JUNE 1980
LOS ANGELES

Kurtz tried his hardest not to wipe the slowly but inevitable sweat forming from his forehead.

Having spent months in Norway then over a year in England on sets, only to arrive back in sunny California a month ago didn't exactly let him adapt in time.

And having studio spotlights directed at him and Kershner during the interview didn't help, which was ironic given how the background was of the ice planet, Hoth.

"... let me ask you: Did you shoot more than one ending?" the female interviewer, seemingly teleported from the 50s or 60s, asked.[1]

"No," Kershner said bluntly.

"No? Aren't you afraid of fans not liking the ending? Especially given how dark and unsatisfying the film is compared to the first film?"

"No, people are 'jarred' because they saw the first Star Wars and expected it to have a happy ending," Kershner explained. He went on to tell her why the sequel had to be dark, that the heroes did have their victory. They managed to survive.

With the interview coming to an end, Kurtz decided to deliver the final words.

"I think it was brave and admirable that George not only wrote a darker script, but gave us the freedom to bring his vision to the big screen. He could have had Luke defeat Vader and Vader escapes at the last second. I'm sure it would have made the audience applaud and... not been as controversial," he forced a smile and continued, "but George took the risk and I sincerely thank him, and I honestly think a story should mature and evolve with the audience. Especially children who will grow up and face tough obstacles the more and more they grow up. I think George and us want to respect the audience and hopefully it inspires a next generation of filmmakers to evolve art and, like Kershner here said it," he gestured towards his mentor before turning back to her, "contribute to the common dream."[2]

SKYWALKER RANCH

Lucas became more and more of a recluse. His mental being deteriorated considerably ever since the Empire Strikes Back hit the cinemas. Despite making unprecedented amounts of revenue compared to A New Hope, it wasn't the paper green bills that were on his mind but the stacks and stacks of mail from fans, parents, and children.

All mad.

He slumped in his chair, looking across the living room at the stack of mail littering the wooden floor. Most unread but he knew they were all accusing him of destroying his own creation.

'How could you torture Luke Skywalker like that?' 'Why do you hate your fans?' 'You are a bad man for hurting Luke and cutting his hand off :C ' 'My child has nightmares because of you' and countless more.

And he wondered if all the money in the world, if all the awards out there would be able to overshadow what may have been his biggest blunder of all time and possibly sink the future of his franchise, all because it didn't adhere to expectations and a more welcoming tone.

In his head, he was already pondering on what he can do to save his creation...[3]

[1] Based on a real interview with Kershner and Gary Kurtz.
[2] Sadly, Kurtz never said this, heh.
[3] I do think Lucas was overwhelmed with the negativity because of the ESB's darker tone. Some mainstream critics called the film 'pointless' as it didn't lead to a satisfying resolution. And many in the audience were 'shellshocked' to see their heroes not win. Luke loses, not just the battle but his hand. Han is captured. And the rebels just barely survive. I can't imagine the vitriol Lucas probably got at that time and I dare say it was a major factor, piling on the external studio-related threats, that was the reason behind Lucas' unfortunate downfall :[

 

[Electric Monk]

That’s a solid POD indeed.

Lucas breaking up with his smarter and better at filmmaking wife Marcia Lucas was a far bigger factor than Kurtz I’d wager though. Like would it kill Lucas to compliment her more than once?

 

[Bbone91]

If you’re interested in learning more about how the Star Wars movies were made iotl, Sfdebris did a series on the making of the films. Moght be some ideas in there for you.

 

[RedTerra]

That’s a solid POD indeed.

Lucas breaking up with his smarter and better at filmmaking wife Marcia Lucas was a far bigger factor than Kurtz I’d wager though. Like would it kill Lucas to compliment her more than once?

Thanks :3

You know, I think you have a great point about Marcia Lucas!

To be honest, I probably underestimated her role and the deteriorating relationship impact on him. I did consider including her in the timeline, that George Lucas had to also deal with their crumbling relationship along with the along issues he wrote on his post-it notes.

But I was... a bit tentative to include and touch on their personal and unfortunate falling out together.

Yet now that you bring her up and her importance to the franchise and George's mental well-being, I wonder if I should bring her into the timeline...

 

[RedTerra]

If you’re interested in learning more about how the Star Wars movies were made iotl, Sfdebris did a series on the making of the films. Moght be some ideas in there for you.

Huh, never heard of them, yeah I'll definitely check them out! Thanks!

 

[CountDVB]

Thanks :3

You know, I think you have a great point about Marcia Lucas!

To be honest, I probably underestimated her role and the deteriorating relationship impact on him. I did consider including her in the timeline, that George Lucas had to also deal with their crumbling relationship along with the along issues he wrote on his post-it notes.

But I was... a bit tentative to include and touch on their personal and unfortunate falling out together.

Yet now that you bring her up and her importance to the franchise and George's mental well-being, I wonder if I should bring her into the timeline...

Likely so. Hell, I reckon her and Lucas spending time off together would benefit both of them

 

[Seandineen]

What if Alec Guinness is a little less recalcitrant? Perhaps a greater touch, will lead to the original Jedi with the spiritual survival of yoda and Obiwan during the final battle.

 

[RedTerra]

JULY 1980
SKYWALKER RANCH

George was glad he didn't bring any notes along as the strong breeze rolling across the Skywalker Ranch was present in the hot summer. Had he, well, they'd be swimming in the lake by now.

He looked across the body of water toward his once-dairy farm now home and workplace he and his wife, Marcia Lucas, now own. His eyes setting on it for far too long...

"George?" came her voice behind him.

He snapped out of his trance and glanced over to her, having stopped rowing the oars. "I'm sorry," he said, almost stuttering.

Marcia, brunette, spunky, and always proactive, whether at work or in the relationship, gave Lucas a look of concern. "I know you don't want to be here."

His eyes perked up. "No, no, I love it here," he said, looking around his surroundings and for once taking in the environment. "It's nice, really."

She let out a slow but audible sigh. "Right," she said, a frown subtly crossing her face. She continued rowing away from their abode.

An uneasy period of silence weighed heavily in the air. He didn't know what to say. Was he supposed to talk about the weather? About the greens? How was her day? These all sounded insincere and forced. But... he could clearly see how upset, even torn how Marcia looked. She had always been the one to ask him what's wrong. What's bothering him. If she could help.

And yet, he never wanted to bother people with his dilemmas. He rather try to fix the problem himself.

Marcia knew this all too well. How George would overextend and exhaust himself during the production of Star Wars. Multiple instances of him trying to personally assume responsibilities either because he wanted to take responsibility or wanted something to exactly go the way he wanted it. His attempt to edit the film on his after firing the first editor came off, as Richard Chew said to her before in secret, that Lucas' editing skills were very outdated, lacking rhythm and energy.[1]

George had changed significantly since making Star Wars back in 1977 in Marcia's eyes. He had become more recluse, silent, and distant. The only time he seemed to have had any sign of life and energy in him was when he could go collaborate with his friend, Steven Spielberg on that Indiana Jones film. Raiders of the Lost Ark, to be exact.[2]

But at this point, she wondered if she was ever going to get to George. It seemed like his media empire was crushing him and if he won't allow anyone to help him, then maybe there was nothing she can do. Even she started to tire the life of helping manage his ranch and media empire. She's taken up sailing and organized company softball events[3] and none of these things felt... fulfilling. Editing was still her passion and she always enjoyed giving George ideas and feedback on his projects, namely what is going to be the third Star Wars film. However, unlike before where he, Marcia, and sometimes Kurtz too would openly discuss where the story could go like with Empire immediately after Star Wars went gold and released, George refused to bring up or want to discuss the third film. It's been two months since the release of Empire, in fact. And he's been traveling abroad to go help Spielberg with the shoots when he clearly needed rest after all that stress overseeing the financial side with Empire.

Was he still paranoid that he thinks she is having some affair with Scorsese? It had to also be George's terror of being... unable to conceive with her.

She had to get to him somehow. She missed the ambitious, shy, but endearingly adorkable man he once was.

She stopped rowing. Then she chuckled as she let go of the oars. "George, what are we doing here?" She looked to the horizon, then back to his eyes. "Its like... something out of a dream."

Lucas blinked several times before going, "That oddly sounds familiar..."

"It's because you wrote that. On Dagobah. Luke." She bit her lower lip. "I don't know... the dream itself doesn't feel... real. Like, you don't seem like yourself. And I know why." She saw him gulp and in the past she would just drop the discussion, she herself didn't want to press the topic further, worried it would only push him away. Sometimes George would even say he needed to do something and was preoccupied.

George looked around, realizing they were at the center of the lake.

"We need to talk...."

[1] Richard Chew, one of the three main editors on A New Hope, was quoted calling George's edit as: “was, uh… cut in a very traditional manner of just playing things out in Masters, and then going into the Coverage, and let the actor’s rhythms dictate the cuts, rather than having the cuts kind of DRIVE the rhythm of the scenes.”
[2] Much to his friends' amazement, Lucas went to work on Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark immediately after Empire, which is both admirable of his energy and worrisome for his health.
[3] Marcia Lucas funnily did organize company sailing, softball events, as well as help manage his business empire.

 

[CountDVB]

I’m hoping this goes well...

 

[RedTerra]

Special thanks to @Electric Monk who brought up how important Marcia Lucas was to Star Wars. I wouldn't have really given the amount of attention to her had he didn't emphasized her. And because of him, I intend for Marcia to play a major role in this Timeline.

I also spent more time researching and... I think this timeline will only get more interesting. Please stay tuned

 

[RedTerra]

What if Alec Guinness is a little less recalcitrant? Perhaps a greater touch, will lead to the original Jedi with the spiritual survival of yoda and Obiwan during the final battle.

I think it didn't help that the effects in Return of the Jedi was... sloppier than in Empire. Something about the green/blue screening looked rather off. Like that speeder chase, the space battle, the AT-ST, even Obi Wan looked jarring. The ships for example had this weird green-ish tinge to them whereas in Empire the ships looked well composited and fittingly lit.

I assume it's a mix of Return being the most ambitious in terms of effects and RETURN relying on ILM for the effects whereas previously ILM had help from other production companies and freelancers.

I’m hoping this goes well...

Me and you, both :b

I am aware that you can't have a 'perfect' timeline so yes, there will be downsides to this timeline. So I guess anyone born in the 90s (like moi) and later might be upset that X and Y doesn't exist...

 

[RedTerra]

Probably should do a recap of PODs here:

• George decides to change the name of his production company to 'LightWorks' please the Director's Guild of America who saw 'Lucasfilm' in the opening as usurping Irvin Kershner's credits. This means he can recruit from a pool of American directors.
• Gary Kurtz goes on record praising Lucas for not only crafting a darker story (while Kasdan and Leigh Brackett did the screenplay) but giving him and Kershner the freedom to shoot the movie largely of their own volition
• Kurtz tries to convince the Empire Strikes Back was worth the production delays and going overbudget.
  
• Marcia Lucas decides to directly confront George on their widening relationship and his deteriorating mental well-being

I apologize if the series of events is slow ^^;

I'm hoping to improve the pace

EDIT: I looked at the production of Raiders of the Lost Ark and realized the film was shot between June and August, ergo I decided to change the previous post's month from August to July, so Lucas would be in the middle of the shooting period.

 

[RedTerra]

AUGUST 1980
TUNISIA

The wineglass was raised high into air, bouncing the light from the hotel ceiling towards the audience.

"... and I'd like to thank my friend," Spielberg nodded towards a certain direction. "George. He approached me with the idea in the first place. A 'James Bond but cooler' and without the gadgets."

Lucas, in the crowd, received a hefty dose of claps from the crowded section of the lobby, causing him to blush.

"Well," Spielberg said, bringing his wineglass towards his chest. "I guess that wraps up Raiders. And finally we can go home and get away from this terribly hot wasteland." He waited until the team stopped laughing. "I'm sure Ford and Lucas here want to stop the damn paparazzi from asking about what happened to Han as soon as possible." Spielberg smiled widely and chuckled along with the rest. "Cheers!"

As soon as the crowd dispersed, Lucas looked for the opportunity to meet with Spielberg. When the opportunity arose, Lucas suggested finding somewhere quieter.

---​

The late Tunisian evening was cold but also calming. Ideal for the moment.

"Steven," George said, the tow overlooking the balcony, "I wanted to know what you think?"[1]

It didn't take long for Spielberg to know what he was talking about. He gave George a pat on the back. "George, it's about the third film, isn't it?"

"Still not interested?" he said, almost coming off as genuinely disappointed.

"I'd love to. I really would. But, it is your baby, isn't it? What if I screw it up?"

"You don't really think that," Lucas chuckled.

"It is the biggest franchise out there now. I saw the feedback to Empire. I absolutely loved it but it seems like apparently many didn't share my or the critics' opinions. The bar's been set preeeetty high. I don't know if I can carry the torch and baggage that comes with it. This would be my first sequel in my career too. You haven't come up with a story yet."

Lucas' eyes widened, looking directly at Spielberg. "I have ideas for it. A rough draft sort of."

"And have you been working on it with anyone?" Spielberg took a sip from his glass and continued before Lucas can respond. "I talked to some people and they said you've been quite tight lipped about the third Star Wars."

Lucas realized it must have been Kurtz, Marcia, and/or someone like Kazdan. For months they wanted to have a group sit down and brainstorm ideas of where the third film could go. Lucas knew what they already wanted even as the Empire Strikes Back was still wrapping up.

They wanted the third film to stay dark. To kill off Han's character. To keep pushing out larger and larger, riskier films every so few years.

The problem was that they aren't the ones being blamed for ruining Star Wars.

For making Star Wars 'too dark' and 'upsetting'.

It had been a month since he told Marcia that and they haven't talked to one another since he left to help Spielberg with his film.

He had to admit though, it did feel oddly liberating to finally tell someone what's been terribly weighing on him and the future of his franchise.

George let out a painful sigh. "No."

There was an eerie silence that followed and Spielberg, not being one to press George on, especially with his personal dilemmas, finally said. "Look, I can tell you have some challenges to overcome and I really appreciate you coming down here to help with the shoot." He then rested his hand on his friend's shoulder. "But I can tell you need to slow down, relax, and think things through. You need to sit down with the Kurtz, Marcia, and the others, open up about what you want to do, work together, and when you guys finally have some script for me..."

Lucas' eyes lowered to see a hand extended towards him. He glanced back up at Spielberg.

"I'll be there."


[1] Again, since Lucas never left the Director's Guild of America in this timeline (ITTL), Lucas is able to set his sights on people like Spielberg to direct his films. Historically Lucas tried to get Spielberg to direct Return of the Jedi but him leaving the DGA prevented that. Spielberg did apparently consult on the lightsaber fights in RotJ.

​

 

[TimeEnough]

Okay, here's the thing; I don't think Han should be killed of in Return/Revenge. It would completely invalidate the first section of the movie (Jabba's Palace), anyway. There's a line between dark (Empire) and Grimdark (Return/Revenge original draft). If you really need to kill off a character, either invent one or change Yoda's death. Just my two cents.

 

[RedTerra]

SEPTEMBER 1980
BOB HOPE AIRPORT, CALIFORNIA

Great, more let lag, George thought. He let out a loud yawn as he made his way across the airport terminal.

He continued to be astounded how sunglasses made him invisible. Not that he exactly expected to literally be swarmed by angry fans and moviegoers or paparazzi, which by September, the vitriol seemed to have died down a bit, but better safe than sorry.

If anyone would be able to recognize his rugged look and flimsy frame, it was Marcia, who he notified he'd be landing at the airport and expected at the arrival zone behind the fence.

As he panned and scanned across the crowd, he couldn't seem to find her.

Then he heard his name being called out.

But it wasn't her voice.

He squinted and in the crowd he saw his friend.

"Gary?" he said, walking towards him.

"George!" He announced with enthusiasm.

George panicked abit, hastening to Kurtz's face to tell him, "You don't need to shout," he whispered loudly.

Kurtz then looked self-aware. "Oh, right." He covered his mouth.

Something at the back of George's head gave him a bad vibe about seeing Kurtz here.

I have a bad feeling about this...



JULY 1981
SKYWALKER RANCH

Almost an entire year passed by since George arrived back in the States.

A lot has changed since then.

For example, Industrial Light & Magic, the in-house LightWorks special effects production studio, had grown considerably, working on special effects for films like Raiders of the Lost Ark. Speaking of which, Raiders released to critical and financial success. Marcia went to help edit films while Kurtz was in talks with Jim Hendricks and Frank Oz over the upcoming Dark Crystal film.

And... a lot hasn't changed.

Which was why they were here in the boardroom today. Kurtz, Marcia, Kazdan, and of course, George Lucas all in the room finally. They, for the first time in about a year, were able to quote unquote 'find time' as George put it, to discuss the third Star Wars film, which was entitled: Revenge of the Jedi.

Or... so it was before today as George was wrapping up his pitch that he read from his first draft, he had decided to opt for a more thematic title: Return of the Jedi.

The room fell silent after George had given his pitch. The pitch that they had waited over a year for.

And Kurtz, seated at the side-length of the boardroom table, was visibly turning red.

"George?" As soon as Kurtz got his attention, Kurtz drummed his pen on the table. "I'm sorry that I have to say this but I have to be real with you." George, seated at one end of the table facing Marcia while Kazdan was to his right, looked like he was about to be dealt the death sentence. "I think it's clear that you don't seem like you really care about the story or characters in films anymore. I— no, everyone kind of sees you being more interested in the business side," before George can respond, Kurtz cut him off, "the toy side. Hell, aren't you in talks with that Atari videogame company? Talking about making some video game company too? And as for films like Raiders and your ideas on Revenge... you seem like you care more about thrills and entertainment. I'm sorry, but you just do." He looked across the table. Then back to George. "And I had to say it since no one wanted to."

George glanced over to Marcia at the other end of the table. She refused to look at him.

He was, in that moment, crushed by his guilt of being unable to mend the wounds he admittedly caused ever since he arrived back and found that she was no where to be found. He never found out what she was doing at that time, whether it was editing or whatever. At that point, he knew she wasn't interested in seeing him and so his planned apology and steps to heal the wounds that Spielberg recommended he undertake, never materialized.

Instead, he was met by Kurtz that day who he knew just wanted to directly start working on Revenge or Return of the Jedi and Lucas was pestered on an occasional basis about when could they start making significant progress on it.

Kurtz continued his onslaught. "And I really wonder if you're trying to make art or pander to children." His words stung. "These," she looked at Lucas' outline, "Ewoks...? They're just tiny teddy bears, right? They apparently take down the Empire." He burst in a chuckle, one of disbelief. "I can't believe this is real, George." He read further. "The characters spend a whole third of the film fighting a crime lord, which, doesn't seem to progress the story at all. Oh, I love this. Leia and Luke are sisters." He shot George a painful sigh. "This is the best you can come up with. A whole year. And people are expecting this film in less than two years. Two years!" Kurtz covered his eyes, his head facing the ceiling. "What happened?"

He hadn't covered all the other problematic points like the Bounty Hunter, Han living despite Kazdan, Ford, and Kurtz pushing for Solo's death, and more.

When it looked like Kurtz was finally done, George mustered all the strength he had. "Kurtz—"

"I'm not looking for an apology, George." Kurtz could tell way ahead from his sheepish mannerism. "I want to know why. We want to know why. Actually, no, we already do. It's because of the bad reception of Empire. We get it. People think you ruined Star Wars. I'm sure it hurts. Truly. But it looks like you just want to push this film out with as little care possible and, I'm sorry for saying this, you need to grow a thicker skin."

George's fist clenched underneath the table.

"If every storyteller acted like you are now, willing to turn their stories kid and family friendly just because they won't grow up or mature, well— I'd hate to live in that infantilized dystopian nightmare." He groaned and dropped his pen onto the table. "I think I'm done, George. I spent years shooting on location, more so than you, trying to make your vision a reality and I'm thankful and honored to have been given all that freedom with Kershner by you. But you have to make a decision now." He rested back into his chair. "We can either work together and put out the fitting sequel to the highest grossing films of all time that doesn't talk down to children or is designed around toys or... I'm out."

It was clear to George that this wasn't a bluff. Tensions have risen to this breaking point over the years. Everything was at risk. He looked at the walls, seeing the framed posters and then awards on the shelves. Star Wars could either blossom or end here. Everything he has been working for, Star Wars, Skywalker Ranch, LightWorks, Industrial Light & Magic, everything was on the line here. As he swept across the room to look at more Star Wars related materials, his heart felt as if it stopped.

His eyes stopped at the one thing that mattered, or should have mattered all this time, in front of him.

"Marcia..." George muttered.

She perked up to face George.

"Marcia?" Kurtz cocked an eyebrow. "She's not the one leaving."

"No, I mean I choose Marcia."

The room was deafeningly silent.

"George?" Marcia uttered.

He turned to Kurtz and rose out of his seat. "I'm going to spend time with her. Like I should have all this time."

Marcia's eyes widened, slowly rising out of her seat.

George patted his shirt down and said, "Gary, I know you care deeply about Star Wars and at this point I feel like you all do more than me. Hell, if you really want to, maybe go ahead without me."

Kurtz's jaw almost hung from hearing that. George, the one behind the idea from its inception, telling everyone to takeover if they truly want to.

"I want to take some time and relax with her. To stop worrying so much about making the next blockbuster every day of the week. Maybe that's why I'm spending more time with the toys and games too. Because it's not as stressful and it allows me to be creative without worrying about having death threats mailed to me."

Kurtz exhaled, never having seen Lucas breakdown like this.

"If you want to leave," George continued, "Feel free to do so. Or if you want to stay around, take over, or maybe wait, you can also do that." George took off with Marcia, leaving Kurtz and Kasdan in the boardroom.

Kurtz glanced at the leaving couple. George had just put Star Wars on hold, indefinitely all because of his failing relationship.

As soon as they disappeared around the corner, Kurtz was reminded of a time when they first worked together and were more... carefree and didn't have to worry about making the biggest movies ever as soon as possible

A genuine smile crossed Gary's face.

"Well, that had more drama and character than his first draft," Kasdan joked.

 

[RedTerra]

I humbly apologize if it came off sappy

I probably seen veeeeery few Romantic films in my lifetime so I largely just shot from the hip with this.

I can promise you that this is where the timeline finally diverges in a fundamental way as we'll 'soon' be focusing on how Return or Revenge of the Jedi turns out and much more.

Okay, here's the thing; I don't think Han should be killed of in Return/Revenge. It would completely invalidate the first section of the movie (Jabba's Palace), anyway. There's a line between dark (Empire) and Grimdark (Return/Revenge original draft). If you really need to kill off a character, either invent one or change Yoda's death. Just my two cents.

Given how Harrison Ford acted, both figuratively and literally, I think it's safe to say Harrison Ford sadly didn't care and at worst, looked like he was trying to sabotage his character in Return of the Jedi. He has several cringe-worthy acting moments that is just sad to watch, especially after his amazing performance in Empire Strikes Back.