Star Wars Collaborative Mini-TL

So, this is just a fun little collaborative timeline idea that I had. It's on a much smaller scale than many of the other ones that have been done around here (including my own PioT, see sig). The POD for this TL will be that, sometime around 1981, George Lucas and David Lynch begin working on ROTJ together. A few loose rules, though, so that this does not become chaos.

1. All postings should be related to the Star Wars series only. We won't start dealing with even direct results on other series and culture until much later, if at all.

2. Don't just post dates saying this and that happened. Given the very subjective nature of this, it would work out a lot better if everyone discussed things before we made them concrete. It's just courtesy, you know?

3. You can use a dating system, but more flavorful posts would be appreciated too.

Now, with those two things out of the way, there's many things to discuss with this sort of change. With Lynch involved in the planning process, we will most likely see a radically different film. Additionally, Lynch's shooting style is quite unique, so there could be an entirely different feel to the film. Lynch's dark styling could certainly balance out Lucas's light stuff. That should get everyone started, and then we can go from there.
 
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July 13, 1981:
George Lucas dies in a car crash. The world goes into mourning over what they believe was a creative genius struck down before his time.

July 25, 1981:
David Lynch, feeling obligated to accept the offer Lucas extended to direct the third Star Wars film, officially is announced as the director. Steven Spielberg, a good friend of Lucas's, will be the producer, and Gary Kurtz is brought on board to be head screenwriter.
 
First, maybe the final battle against the Empire not on Endor but on Kashyyyk instead, as it was first intended. And ROTJ holds the world record for the most giants ever used in one take. The battle on Kashyyyk would be similar to the one on Episode III, with the Wookiees using high technology.

Second, what about the initial choices for the ROTJ scenario, continuing the saga for nine episodes? The Millenium Falcon is destroyed, Han Solo dies (the carbonite malfunctions? There was an alternate history comic on Episode VI where Han was left blind).
 
July 13, 1981:
George Lucas dies in a car crash. The world goes into mourning over what they believe was a creative genius struck down before his time.

July 25, 1981:
David Lynch, feeling obligated to accept the offer Lucas extended to direct the third Star Wars film, officially is announced as the director. Steven Spielberg, a good friend of Lucas's, will be the producer, and Gary Kurtz is brought on board to be head screenwriter.
See rule two.
2. Don't just post dates saying this and that happened. Given the very subjective nature of this, it would work out a lot better if everyone discussed things before we made them concrete. It's just courtesy, you know?
As for killing off Lucas, don't you think that's kind of overkill? Sure he got his greedy side out for the first time with ROTJ, but that's hardly reason to kill him. Surely it'd be more interesting to see how he would plan out ROTJ with Lynch, who is going to be a lot less of a pushover than the OTL director (forgot his name). Additionally, by killing Lucas, we can't plan out any sort of ATL Prequel Trilogy. :p
I know it's a stupid internet meme, but you accidentally the verb.
Sorry about that. I fixed it.
First, maybe the final battle against the Empire not on Endor but on Kashyyyk instead, as it was first intended. And ROTJ holds the world record for the most giants ever used in one take. The battle on Kashyyyk would be similar to the one on Episode III, with the Wookiees using high technology.
That's probably a definite, though I will wait on other's opinions on how much Lynch pushes back against Lucas.
Second, what about the initial choices for the ROTJ scenario, continuing the saga for nine episodes? The Millenium Falcon is destroyed, Han Solo dies (the carbonite malfunctions? There was an alternate history comic on Episode VI where Han was left blind).
I don't think having nine episodes would be a good idea, but that's just me. Either way, I think it's best that we don't deal with that idea until after dealing with all the things involving ROTJ. Stuff like casting, plot, filming style, reception, etc.

And you have my vote for Han dying. It was apparently Harrison Ford's idea for that to happen IOTL. Could be an interesting thing to throw in.
 
Let's say he keeps Gary Kurtz to. That would really improve the movie, and the franchise as a whole. See this this interview IGN did with him (there is a longer one somewhere, but I can't find it).

The story that Kurtz wanted to tell would have "presented the Rebel forces in tatters, Leia grappling with her new duties as queen and Luke walking off alone like Clint Eastwood in the spaghetti westerns."

Kurtz went on to say that the original idea had Luke and pals rescuing a kidnapped Han Solo, as they do in the original film, but the outcome of that rescue would be different. "[Han] would then die in the middle part of the film in a raid on an Imperial base," Kurtz said. "George then decided he didn't want any of the principals killed. By that time there were really big toy sales and that was a reason."
 
For your interest: http://starwarz.com/starkiller/2010/03/revenge-of-the-jedi-revised-rough-draft/

I just saw again Return of the Jedi again and here are my thoughts:

-Luke doesn't join the Rebel Fleet on leaving Dagobah and proceeds instead to Had Abaddon (this version's Coruscant, relying heavily on Blade Runner's Los Angeles and Fritz Lang's Metropolis), sending R2-D2 to Leia in order to reveal her that she is his sister. He is captured by the Imperial Police and brought to the Imperial Palace, in fact the former Jedi Temple now invaded by the Dark Side. The final duel between Luke and Vader take place here, Vader kills the Emperor, but the blast created by his fall forces the Palace to collapse. Luke escapes with his father's body amidst the confusion on the capital-planet created by the Emperor's death, showing the end of the Empire.

-The Death Star is above Kashyyyk, or rather Alaris Prime, a Wookiee colony (coming from the videogame Star Wars Galatic Battlegrounds), the Imperial garrison is quite strong but has nothing to do due to intense infighting between two rival Wookiee clans, one of them being led by Attichitcuk, Chewbacca's father (even if his apparence would remind everyone from the Holiday Special). Chewie's son Lumpawarrump plays the cutie. The two clans unite against the Empire in spite of their mutual hate.

-The Empire is assisted on the Wookiee planet by the Trandoshans, the Saurian slave traders, terribly evil but who finally betray the Empire due to their thirst of profit. Bossk, a bounty hunter from Empire Strikes Back, could have an extensed role here.

-Han doesn't die: he's too much important for it, and his rescue at Jabba's Palace opens the film. Instead, Lando has no more missiles to shoot on the Death Star's generator and heroically decides to throw the Millenium Falcon on the generator. Or, the Millenium Falcon is the ship which makes a kamikaze fall on the Star Dreadnought, with Wedge taking the credit for the Death Star's destruction.

-And if you still want to make the things grim... There is an old joke in the Star Wars fanon that the fall of debris on Endor's Moon caused a massive extermination of the Ewok people. Maybe it could go for real here.
 
My idea on the Han situation:

Lynch successfully convinces Lucas to kill off Han. Han then dies in a heroic action in the middle of the movie. But, after shooting is nearly finish, Lucas pulls a, well a Lucas, and rewrites part of the movie, bringing Han back in some final showdown.

Eh?
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On an unrelated note, I think it would be cool (though I wonder if Lucas would go for it), if the movie highlighted several changes with Han and Luke, as they trade off personality traits (like Ani and Obi in the PT), with Han becoming more heroic, and Luke becoming more dark (like when he used the force choke IOTL, but expand upon it). This would make it a lot more meaningful when in the end Luke has the "I'm becoming my father" epiphany and turns against the Emperor.
 
My idea on the Han situation:

Lynch successfully convinces Lucas to kill off Han. Han then dies in a heroic action in the middle of the movie. But, after shooting is nearly finish, Lucas pulls a, well a Lucas, and rewrites part of the movie, bringing Han back in some final showdown.

Han has died. Han has risen. Han will come again. :)

Assuming that egos like Lucas and Lynch can work together:

I'm assuming that Lynch isn't working on Dune in this timeline, since it's production coincides with ROTJ, but I'd imagine that he'd make similar artistic decisions, since he's at the same time in his life.

I have a feeling that his most interesting work would be in the Tattooine segments of the film.

I'm picturing Jabba having a more Baron Harkonnen (movie version) feel to him, keeping the slug form, but adding things like the Baron's pustules that have to be drained (a Lynch invention), somewhat mentally unstable (although still quite a shrewd businessman)... I don't know if I'd go as far as the "heart plug" thing, but there might be some weird prosthetics like that.

It would be very interesting, however, what he does with Palpatine. I don't think he'll just be a pale, old wrinkled man with glowing eyes, there will be something more sinister about him... He probably has some nasty habits which get shown on screen... nasty evil habits reminiscent of vampires, that is -- to show how he uses the force to keep himself alive despite his age.
 
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Assuming that egos like Lucas and Lynch can work together
I am not ruling that out, per se, but I do believe that it's fairly plausible for them to at least make it through scripting and some shooting together, which by itself will do wonders for the movie, along with Gary Kurtz being included, like Yelnoc suggested.

Should we perhaps talk about how the Kurtz-Lynch-Lucas-Kasdan brainstorming session will go, as that will greatly affect how the script turns out. What might Kurtz or Lynch bring up that didn't even come up in OTL's session, and what might come up that they might support and push through that failed IOTL.

Also, MaskedPickle, thanks for the link, it's interesting!
 

Warsie

Banned
Maybe have Lando die when escaping Death Star II

also maybe have palpatine look like tyler durden or the "antichrist" in that christian science fiction series (forgot what ti was; its the one with the NWO)
 
Maybe have Lando die when escaping Death Star II

also maybe have palpatine look like tyler durden or the "antichrist" in that christian science fiction series (forgot what ti was; its the one with the NWO)
Both of those could work out. Who do you think would be cast as the Emperor if they went for that look? Didn't they already have him show up in V?
 

EricM

Banned
Both of those could work out. Who do you think would be cast as the Emperor if they went for that look? Didn't they already have him show up in V?

Palpatine's basic appearance was pretty much settled in Empire.

Though if I recall in one of the original scripts for Star Wars (you can twist my arm all you want. Not going to refer to it as Episode IV.) The Emperor was just meant to be a political puppet.
 
Come on guys, you people on this site talk shit all the time about how bad ROTJ and the PT was, and now that you get the chance to say what WOULD make it not suck, there's like no input at all!
Palpatine's basic appearance was pretty much settled in Empire.

Though if I recall in one of the original scripts for Star Wars (you can twist my arm all you want. Not going to refer to it as Episode IV.) The Emperor was just meant to be a political puppet.
That's what I figured. Probably too late to change it now.
 
Bump because I still think this is a pretty cool idea.

Just to collect some thoughts from the thread:

- Have David Lynch direct the movie, and Gary Kurtz stay on the writing team
- Final battle on Kashykk
- Lando dies in the Death Star fight
- Luke goes to Coruscant* directly to fight the Emperor and Vader
- Alternate casting for Palpatine and Jabba (?)
- Have the Emperor be a political puppet (?)
 
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