What RETURN OF THE JEDI Could have been
Comments(17)
- By drvenkman
First of all this is not part of my April Fools joke! Coincidentally enough this is real news on one of the stories that George Lucas’ ‘Return of the Jedi’ could have been. I don’t know how I missed this before, but back in 2005 ‘Empire Strikes Back’ producer Gary Kurtz gave an interview in which he tells of a tale of what we could have seen in ‘Return of the Jedi’ but was ultimately thrown out the window. Why? I have no idea because this vision of the film is so much better! Here is what Kurtz had to say.
The one story thread that got totally tossed out the window, which was really pretty important I think, was the one of Vader trying to convince Luke to join him to overthrow the Emperor. That together they had enough power that they could do that, and it wasn’t him saying I want to take over the world and be the evil leader, it was that transition. It was Vader saying, “I’m looking again at what I’ve done and where my life has gone and who I’ve served and, very much in the Samurai tradition, and saying if I can join forces with my son, who is just as strong as I am, that maybe we can make some amends.” So there was all of that going on in Jedi as well, that was supposed to go on. So the story was quite a bit more poignant and the ending was the coronation of Leia as the queen of what was left of her people, to take over the royal symbol. That meant she was then isolated from all of the rest and Luke went off then by himself. It was basically a kind of bittersweet ending. She’s not his sister that dropped in to wrap up everything neatly. His sister was someone else way over on the other side of the galaxy and she wasn’t going to show up until the next episode.
Can you believe they didn’t go with this ending!? I am shocked! It is so perfect, and had much more thought put into it. This was a much smarter ending and one that would have been incredible! That’s the ending I would have loved to see! io9 says it best with the comment “No last minute change of heart from Vader, no creepy retro incest between Luke and Leia, and a non-Ewok village with everyone dancing and singing and ghosts appearing to tell you that everything’s okay really ending? Yeah, we were totally ripped off by reality.”
So what do you think of this ending that never happened?
Source: Film Threat
But for the time they made it the execs still thought it was a kids movie. They were looking for a quick buck, not at leaving something to movie history.
Things like this are why movie execs should really leave the movie making to the artists and trust that movie goers are not dumb and do enjoy some depth.
That would have been better, though the Vader redemption was still there in some of his hesitancy with Luke on the moon of Endor.
I wonder if this “ending” was part of “Revenge of the Jedi” or how that fits in before the name change?
Wow I dont know what to think about that version. It sounds good but it sounds cheesy in the same sense. I don’t think I could look at the ending any different then it is now and think it’s better. The ending is perfect for the movie and Vader redeemed himself by saving his son. Luke was right that he still had good in him and the real ending proved it.
“Can you believe they didn’t go with this ending!?”
You can watch the prequels and the Clone Wars animated show and ask that question with a straight face?
Of course we can believe they didn’t go with that ending!
I’m with BubbaShelby on this one. Given the garbage that Lucas has wrapped himself in over the past few decades, how can we not believe that this is the ending that was passed over?
Heres an IDEA….leave Star Wars and ESB alone…REBOOT ROTJ and Episode 1. Then quit making Bullcrap…get to the serious stuff again and quit dumbing down everything
While this ending sounds good, now I think Lucas felt it important to make sure all the bad guys die and that the good guys clearly win, and I agree. Given the clear delineations Lucas had kept regarding good and bad, I think it was important that he convey the message that evil was gone. Keeping Vader and Luke around would have left some ambiguity with regards to where they end up. Does Vader go good? And stay good? Does Luke eventually go bad?
And what people were left for Leia to reign over? Alderaan was destroyed. Granted, probably not everyone from Alderaan was on the planet when it was blown up, but only a small handful would have been left for her to be queen of. Hardly an ending fitting for the epic scale of Star Wars. Imagine Leia’s mindset: “I just went through years of running from the Empire, getting shot at, imprisonment, flattening in a garbage compactor, incest…and in the end all I get is to be Queen for a few dozen leftover homeless Alderaanians?” Blech. No thanks.
Perhaps they make sense if episodes 7-9 would have been made, but I like the way it wraps up in RotJ.
Ah, I remember that interview. It was a good interview too.
A couple of things. When Jedi first came out it seems there was a bit of controversy about the there being no one to tell Lucas no. Kurtz apparently knew how to reel him in. Hence we have Ewoks instead of Wookies and the ending we have now in Jedi. This inability to keep Lucas under control really shows in the prequels.
There were supposed to be three more movies after Jedi so what Kurtz says makes perfect sense. In Jedi Leia would be queen, Luke would go off and (finally) meet his sister, we would meet the Emperor in the later movies and Han Solo was supposed to die in Jedi. Lets also not forget there was supposed to be two Death Stars too.
Anyway, makes me wish for what could have been.
I agree with basically everyone else….that this ending would have been much more satisfying throughout the ages.
Yeah, we were happy with the ending of Jedi when we were preteens or younger, but now as adults and older, it feels like a kids ending. This other ending would have carried on better as we think about it in a more mature state.
Unless another trilogy after Jedi is made…it is an ok ending to a historic story.
that was cool!
But its also worth remembering that this ending is far more “open ended” than a lot of movies that are considered “final”. Back in 1983 20th Century Fox was essentially closing the book on the franchise. So it makes sense that Vader would die (reformed baddie that he was.)
Having now ‘filled in the gaps’ (and created even worse ones!) the whole plot line seems to work given the ongoing nature of the Star Wars universe. However, at the time, I think the film ending was fairly appropriate.
I still think its interesting now to watch the new trilogy and ep. IV as the tragic failings of Obi Wan. That’s a pretty deep story, even if the new movies suck, his story arc is impressive.
So Leia was not meant to be his sister originally… well that explains the kiss in Empire Strikes Back x_x
I wouldent want to see it any ohter way then what it is because we may not of had all the great novels and comic books we have now.
I think if they had done this at the time, that would have been pretty awesome.
It would be a bad idea if they tried to redo that now. I think if they want to do anything with Star Wars, they should focus on Episodes 7-9, but that will never happen, and I am slightly afraid what they would be like if they did.
You can always read Timothy Zahn’s books to get a sense of what the future holds. Pretty good books, all around.
The Zahn trilogy is apparently the {un)official 3rd trilogy.
huh. that’s too bad it didn’t happen.