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Of Jedi, Nelwyns, and other Silly Things

An Alternate History of Late-1980's Cinema

Part 1: The Road Back

Some would say Return of the Jedi was a low mark in the career of George Lucas. It was a somewhat satisfying bookend to what many call the "Star Wars Original Trilogy." It is generally only deemed somewhat satisfying due to the death of the popular character Han Solo during the Battle of Endor. [1] For some fans, it seemed ridiculous that the first part of the film was devoted to Han Solo's rescue only to have the character die later in the movie. This move was made simply to get actor Harrison Ford back on board for the role of the character. Despite this, the relationship between George Lucas and Harrison Ford remained on good terms.

"Harrison and I continued to work on more Indiana Jones movies after he was done with Star Wars," Lucas recalled in a 1995 interview. "I would have enjoyed having Harrison back for Episode VII, but I ultimately respected his decision to allow Han Solo's death to happen. We later realized it brought closure to Han's character arc from when we first saw the character in Episode IV."

It was no secret that George Lucas also wanted to move on to other projects. Rumors persisted that Lucas was working on new Star Wars material. Mark Hamill later expressed openness to return as Luke Skywalker. Carrie Fisher's problems with drugs made it difficult for any discussion on new Star Wars material to move forward. [2] However, by 1985, it seemed all parties were ready to move forward on the possibility of there being more Star Wars movies.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) was not as successful as Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Not long after Ron Howard was brought on to begin pre-production of Willow in 1985, George Lucas admitted in an interview that he was nearly finished working on a script for a new Star Wars movie. Both Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher confirmed their involvement in the project. Much like the last two films of the Original Trilogy, the Sequel Trilogy would see George Lucas act in the production role rather than as a director. Because Ron Howard was busy helping Lucas bring Willow to life, he declined the opportunity to do a Star Wars sequel film. [3]

"People thought I was nuts," recalled Howard in a 1997 interview. "Of course, I worked with George on Episode VIII, so the opportunity was there for me to do Star Wars later." [4]

For Episode VII, George Lucas tapped up and coming director James Cameron. Cameron already had notable success for The Terminator (1984) and was directing Aliens (1986), the sequel to the 1979 film Alien. Lucas admitted to being impressed with Cameron's work and thought he could bring a good visual element to the story he was trying to tell. Star Wars Episode VII had a tentative release date pegged for 1988, with the working title for the episode being Shadows of the Empire. [5]

Set five years after the events of Return of the Jedi, Shadows of the Empire was meant to force Luke, Leia, and the New Republic confront the legacy of their father as well as deal with a resurgent Galactic Empire. For this purpose, a new villain was needed. The new villain was Darth Vader's secret apprentice known only as Starkiller. [6] Michael Biehn, a frequent collaborator of James Cameron, was reportedly interested in the role of Starkiller from day one. While other notable actors such as Peter Weller, Michael Keaton, and Mickey Rourke all auditioned for the role of Starkiller, Biehn ended up impressing Lucas more during the screen tests.

"At one point, it was between Michael Biehn and myself," Keaton said at Dallas Comic Con 2004 when asked about his near involvement in Star Wars. "Of course, I was still able to work with Billy Dee Williams in another movie." [7]

While Mickey Rourke failed to earn the role of Starkiller, one could argue his star ended up being much brighter after he was cast as Dash Rendar. "I wanted to play the villain, but James (Cameron) pulled me aside and said, 'I think I have a better role for you here,'" Rourke recalled in a 1997 interview. "When I read about Dash Rendar, I was sold. He was the sort of rogue I was born to play." [8]

Another key addition to the cast was veteran actor Christopher Lee in the role of Grand Admiral Thrawn. [9] Lee was originally considered for a different role, but George Lucas felt Lee carried a certain gravity which was needed for the role of the Empire's military leader.

"I felt it was important to have a character who could portray a strong military leader for the Empire," Lucas said in a 1988 interview. "It would be ridiculous to assume something as large as the Galactic Empire would collapse overnight. Someone would step in to fill the power vacuum. I also wanted to leave room for Starkiller to play a role in shaping part of the direction of the Empire post-Endor. I thought it was an interesting dynamic to have two very powerful individuals at the head of the Empire, but with two different points of view. Grand Admiral Thrawn would focus purely on the military side of things, but be a clear intellectual with enough knowledge of politics and history to be an effective administrator. With Starkiller, you have a reminder of the brutality of Darth Vader and how Vader was used to enforce the will of the Galactic Empire."

Indeed, the setting for Shadows of the Empire was far more cynical than the hopeful message at the end of Return of the Jedi. While not being cynical in its message, Shadows of the Empire presented a struggle which was not concluded. With Carrie Fisher set to play a bigger role as a Jedi in the film, she also relished at the opportunity for Princess Leia to grow as a character.

"In the Original Trilogy, Leia was a prisoner in every movie," Fisher recalled in 1997. "It was much more fun to be a warrior princess than a damsel in distress." [10]

Mark Hamill's role as Luke Skywalker saw him play a young Jedi Master attempting to manage both the growing Jedi Order as well as continue to serve the galaxy. "In Return of the Jedi, Luke was forced to confront his father as well as himself," Hamill stated in 1997. "In Shadows of the Empire, we find Luke being forced to do the same thing, but from a different perspective."

Filming for Shadows of the Empire began in the fall of 1986 after the release of Aliens. Cameron admitted the grueling nature of his schedule exhibited both positives and negatives. "Being able to work with George Lucas was a great opportunity and one I greatly appreciated," Cameron said in a 1999 interview. "We may have butted heads creatively, but we also worked very well together." Cameron's perspective was a bit of an understatement, as Lucas later recalled.

"James is a very talented director," Lucas stated. "He was my first choice for Episode VII and I would make the very same choice today. We had more than a few differences of opinion in the creative process, but in the end, we came together as professionals and got the job done."

"George was spreading himself pretty thin in those days," recalled longtime George Lucas collaborator Steven Spielberg. "It's amazing we managed to get anything done at all, but the magic we all managed to create in those days was something special."

Spielberg, who directed Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) was rumored to have participated as a consultant during the production. The rumors were laid to rest by James Cameron, who said, "This was George's and my baby." The hectic schedule also forced Cameron to postpone one of his pet projects, Abyss, which would not be released until 1990. [11]

Star Wars also forced the postponement of the release of Willow, as Shadows of the Empire was set for a Memorial Day weekend opening in 1988. Willow was pushed to an August release, where it fared far better in the aftermath of the Star Wars buzz. "It was the right decision," recalled Ron Howard. "No one wanted to compete against Star Wars, least of all George Lucas." [12]

As the May 27, 1988 release date approach, the world held its breath in anticipation for what was to come. Theaters experienced long lines as people waited to see the next installment in the Star Wars saga. Critics were already praising the film for its direction and visual style. However, the overall opinion still waited for those die-hard fans to witness Episode VII for themselves. When the familiar sounds filled the theaters, many had goose bumps as they waited for the opening crawl to hit the screen.

"How I felt when I watched Episode VII?" recalled director Kevin Smith. "Three words: that lightsaber duel. Holy crap. If you need two more words, space battle."

In many ways, Shadows of the Empire outdid Return of the Jedi. Even without a Death Star present, the space battle was a grand, visual achievement. Much like the Original Trilogy, there was inspiration from classic war films. But what James Cameron was able to bring to the table during the climax of the battle with Rebel marines on the enemy Star Destroyer was considered one of the brightest points of the film. [13]

The other well-remembered battle was the lightsaber duel between Starkiller and Luke and Leia. [14] Biehn played a cold, ruthless villain who posed a legitimate threat to the Jedi twins. It was known for its intense action, showing just how far the technology had come since A New Hope."Michael was intense," Mark Hamill later recalled. "What's most important is Michael was very believable as a threat. You could believe that Michael would be a secret apprentice to Darth Vader. He played the role that well."

While Shadows of the Empire certainly worked as a war film, it worked even better at advancing the themes built during the Original Trilogy. "The dark side doesn't disappear simply because we wish it to disappear," Luke Skywalker said in the film. "The darkness must be fought with vigilance and hope."

"This was a battle of opposing viewpoints," Cameron said in 2008. "The problem was the New Republic or Rebel Alliance had a number of growing pains which could not be easily solved by winning a space battle at Endor. Then you had the Galactic Empire pushing back against this call for change. Not everyone supported the Rebel Alliance in the Original Trilogy, but you can't say everyone supported the Galactic Empire either. This viewpoint was reflected by Dash Rendar in the movie."

"You can't expect people to accept change just because you offer it to them," Dash told Leia in the movie. "The Empire came about because the majority were willing to accept it. You can't just flash a lightsaber and make people accept the New Republic."

"It's a conflict which defined the movie," George Lucas stated. "The Emperor was dead. What happens to all the regular people who depended on the Empire? In Return of the Jedi, the goal was clear. Destroying the Death Star was a matter of survival. Redeeming Darth Vader was a personal goal of Luke's. But the Empire is still Darth Vader's legacy. Redeeming Darth Vader isn't as simple as having him return to the light side. The legacy of his decisions remained."

"We also wanted to highlight the fact that something was lurking beneath the surface in the shadows," Lucas added.

Also, in Shadows of the Empire, Sebastian Shaw reprised his role as Anakin Skywalker, who returned as a Force ghost to advise his son Luke. In the critical scene, Anakin reveals the truth of the Empire's formation and the role he played in its rise. Anakin also referred to Starkiller as his greatest failure, but offered some hope of redemption for his former apprentice.

Alec Guinness politely refused to reprise his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi, so the role of adviser fell to Anakin Skywalker. [15] However, other Star Wars veterans such as Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, Timothy M. Rose, and Denis Lawson all returned for Shadows of the Empire.

At the conclusion of the film, the Rebels win a minor victory against the Empire. While the Empire lives on to fight another day, it appears the shadow lurking beneath the surface is finally about to reveal itself. During the conclusion of the film, Starkiller lands on the planet Korriban and approaches an ancient tomb. A hooded man exits the tomb and the camera does not focus on his face, which is covered in shadow. Starkiller kneels before the man and says, "It has begun, my master." The masked man says, "Good. You have done well, Lord Starkiller. The time of our return is at hand." [16]

Up Next: A discussion about Willow and the 1988 box office returns.

[1] Harrison Ford originally wanted Han Solo die in self-sacrifice at the beginning of the film. George Lucas rejected this idea outright IOTL. Here, Ford suggests Solo die a hero at the end of the film and is more convincing.
[2] Carrie Fisher's past problems with drug addiction is well documented.
[3] Willow was a pet project for Lucas. Here, he still pitched the idea to Ron Howard. Given the direction of a new Star Wars film, Lucas decides to go for a director like James Cameron.
[4] George Lucas used different directors for The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. It's not inconceivable he'd go with someone other than James Cameron. Cameron likely would still try to get Abyss released (see note [11]) and he was still trying to get Terminator 2 made.
[5] This is an obvious reference to the multimedia project from the Legends continuity.
[6] Starkiller was a name which popped up in the original draft of Star Wars. The name was later used in Knights of the Old Republic and later The Force Unleashed, where Vader trained an apprentice named Starkiller.
[7] This is a reference to Batman (1989).
[8] Dash Rendar was a character from OTL Shadows of the Empire.
[9] Unlike the OTL Thrawn Trilogy counterpart, Christopher Lee plays a human Thrawn.
[10] Yoda told Luke to pass on what he learned. With no Han Solo in the picture, I figure Luke would have been able to train Leia without much difficulty. In the Original Trilogy, Leia as captured twice by the Empire and once by Jabba the Hutt.
[11] Abyss comes out one year later.
[12] Willow was originally released on May 20, 1988 IOTL. Here, the release date is pushed back to accommodate a new Star Wars film.
[13] I get the feeling this is the sort of scene James Cameron would excel at more so than George Lucas.
[14] Leia Organa's character uses a lightsaber with a blue blade. Starkiller uses a lightsaber with a red blade in the traditional "bad guy" fashion and his combat style utilizes the reverse grip. This is much like in The Force Unleashed.
[15] Alec Guinness did not like the fame that came from the Star Wars franchise even if he did like the money. I get the feeling he would decline further involvement in the franchise.
[16] This is not the Clone Emperor from Dark Empire, but it is someone else from the Legends continuity.
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