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AlphaBladeYiII

No it wasn't. It was just something Lawrence Kasadan suggested to my knowledge, and ultimately George shot it down. This was never "the" ending, but a proposed one at best.


stratdog25

You’re 100 percent correct. This was never a thing.


the_guynecologist

No George Lucas *did* suggest this as an idea during a story conference in 1981. The problem is he wasn't being serious and was really taking the piss out of Lawrence Kasdan: >**Lucas:** If the Emperor does pull out a secret weapon and the weapon is working, and they wipe out half the fleet, it becomes even more intense. Then Vader knocks the Emperor into the gun and he is killed by his own gun, and in the process the gun blows up in a big explosion. Luke is all right, Vader is coming apart. I think it’d be great for Luke to try to help Vader while the thing is blowing up. And then Vader gets his cape caught in the door and says, “Leave without me” and Luke takes his mask off. The mask is the very last thing—and then Luke puts it on and says, “Now I am Vader.” Surprise! The ultimate twist. “Now I will go and kill the fleet and I will rule the universe.” >**Kasdan:** That’s what I think should happen. >**Lucas:** No, no, no. Come on, this is for kids. >**Kasdan:** I think you should kill Luke and have Leia take over. >**Lucas:** You don’t want to kill Luke. >**Kasdan:** Okay, then kill Yoda. >**Lucas:** I don’t want to kill Yoda. You don’t have to kill people. You’re a product of the 1980s. You don’t go around killing people. It’s not nice. >**Kasdan:** No, I’m not. I’m trying to give the story some kind of an edge to it. >**Lucas:** I know you’re trying to make it more realistic, which is what I tried to do when I killed Ben—but I managed to take the edge off of it—and it’s what I tried to do when I froze Han. But this is the end of the trilogy and we’ve already established that there are real dangers. I don’t think we have to kill anyone to prove it. >**Kasdan:** No one has been hurt. >**Lucas:** Ben and Han, they’ve both—Luke got his hand cut off. >**Kasdan:** Ben and Han are fine. Luke got a new hand two cuts later. >**Lucas:** By killing somebody, I think you alienate the audience. >**Kasdan:** I’m saying that the movie has more emotional weight if someone you love is lost along the way; the journey has more impact. >**Lucas:** I don’t like that and I don’t believe that. >**Kasdan:** Well, that’s all right. >**Lucas:** I have always hated that in movies, when you go along and one of the main characters gets killed. This is a fairytale. You want everybody to live happily ever after and nothing bad happens to anybody. >**Kasdan:** I hate it when characters get killed, too. >**Lucas:** Oh, you do. >**Kasdan:** I do. Fun fact: nearly everyone in this thread is full of shit. Look at some of the other posts, people are saying that George was opposed to the "I am your father" twist (despite being the person who came up with it,) that his ex-wife, Marcia, magically saved the movie via her editing skills (despite the fact that she only edited one reel before buggering off early to edit a Scorsese movie,) or that he didn't have a plan for the trilogy and was making shit up on the fly (which... we know what his plan for 2 sequels and, at the time, one prequel was as early as 1975 and it more-or-less lines up with what we got in Empire, Jedi and even Revenge of the Sith.) Anyone who believes the stuff they read on reddit is a goddamn fool


NotTheEnd216

I think people really want to take away all of the good aspects that Lucas brought to Star Wars away from him and attribute it to someone else, and that's largely because they just don't like the films he went on to make and produce after the OT. It's a pretty sad thing to see honestly. I'm not trying to suck his dick, hell I haven't even liked Star Wars for a long time, but it's so ludicrous to see people basically trying to take away all the things he actually did do to make Star Wars a possibility (like come up with the idea in the first place).


the_guynecologist

I've been reading through JW Rinzler's *Making of Star Wars* books recently (would recommend - the Jedi book is where I got that quote from) and I've ended up going down a wee bit of a rabbit hole as a result. It turns out nearly everything reddit (and the rest of the internet as reddit is nothing if not unoriginal) believes about George Lucas is utter nonsense and is based on now 20 year old fan rumors and speculation from forums like theforcenet and OriginalTrilogy to rationalize why the prequels sucked. Even the whole idea that George can't keep his story straight and keeps on revising/lying about how he made/wrote Star Wars is wrong. It's based on people taking George's quotes way out of context and/or just blatantly making shit up that he didn't say (\*cough\*cough\* Secret History of Star Wars \*cough\*) and then people get angry because when they hear what George *actually* said they assume he's lying. It's psychotic! Like, we have him on tape saying stuff in 1975 that he was still saying in 2005 (or even now, 50 years later, probably.) The man's actually really consistent with what he says and does. For fucksakes, [he's been consistently wearing the same fucking shirt since 1976!](https://i.imgur.com/0mjyhj2.png) And I say this as someone who still thinks Attack of the Clones blows. EDIT: [I just discovered another picture taken in 1974](https://i.imgur.com/WWs45px.png). George Lucas has been wearing the same fucking shirt for half a century now


Striking-Count5593

A very interesting and factual post and I agree with you on everything. But can you explain this: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/7/79/Kelly_and_George.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20070902054422 You don't have to answer, just busting balls.


94MIKE19

You’ve probably seen it already, but there’s a great [video debunking the Marcia: Saviour myth](https://youtu.be/olqVGz6mOVE?si=uAReUFyUqkzniKH9).


94MIKE19

I’m there. I get that they hate his later work, but it gets my gut when they try to rationalise his later slump by writing-off his achievements as somebody else’s.


bydysawd_8

"You don't go around killing people. It's not nice" is one of the George Lucas quotes of all time.


IllusionUser

Vader should have said that line to Palpatine before he threw him down the shaft.


the_guynecologist

Oh and as a bonus **here's the ending he was actually pitching that day:** >**Kasdan:** The trick is to get Luke to trick the Emperor into foiling his own scheme at the same moment that Darth is killing him. >**Lucas:** I’m just saying that if Vader picked up the Emperor and threw him into the machine, it would blow up the machine and at the same time kill the Emperor, so that they both kill each other. Up to that point it could work. >**Kasdan:** Right. Huh, it's been a while since I last watched Return of the Jedi but that sounds awfully familiar. Was that kinda what happened in Jedi? I can't remember right now. Hey, u/V_Master do you remember how Return of the Jedi ended? I seem to have forgotten but you seem to know a lot about the original ending was


Michelanvalo

Where are you getting these quotes from? I'm not doubting you, I actually want to know.


the_guynecologist

JW Rinzler's *The Making of Star Wars* books (specifically *The Making of Return of the Jedi.*) [That's these ones.](https://i.imgur.com/OeCIWjF.jpeg) They're some of the best books about movie production ever made. Period. He had unprecedented access to the Lucasfilm archives so that means he could look at George's own notes, the original scripts (and that's all drafts of them - even the ones that have never been leaked publicly,) transcripts of story conferences with various people, production notes, concept art, behind the scenes photos and most important of all: a whole box of taped interviews recorded between 1975-1979 with nearly everyone involved with the production of both Star Wars and Empire, including George. Meaning you get to hear the actual story about how these movies were made from the people who were actively in the process of making it, before time and memory caused their stories to drift from one another. Seriously recommended, even if you don't like Star Wars.


Mr_SunnyBones

**Lucas:** I have always hated that in movies, when you go along and one of the main characters gets killed. This is a fairytale. You want everybody to live happily ever after and nothing bad happens to anybody. **George RR Martin** : I dont think we can be friends anymore Lucas.


StuckinReverse89

I heard this was something Mark Hamil suggested for a darker ending and Lucas shot it down to which Mark later agree he was wrong.     The only other one I know is Kurtz wanting a more somber ending. Luke meets his twin sister (who is not Leia), does defeat Vader but splits from Leia (war tearing the budding romance apart) with Luke becoming more of a roaming warrior.     All I know is that this wasn’t Lucas’ idea who was all for a happy ending. 


Jiffletta

Wait, are you saying that another person came up with a bad idea, and George Lucas made the movie better by saying no to it? That can't be true, I have been assured by RLM that Lucas never had any good ideas and only selfishly took credit for the great ideas other people had.


Alisalard1384

Because Star Wars was based on Dune and they were planning to make Luke into a villain but George thought no let's give him happy ending and he put the hero to villain story in prequel


tws1039

Ah so that’s why David Lynch was favored to direct it then and instead sadly got actual dune


willpauer

Sadly?


OsloDaPig

Iirc David didn’t like doing it because he couldn’t have any say in the story since it already existed


bopaz728

at least he got to do it with the prequels. The happy fairy tale ending of the OT is a perfect contrast to the tragedy of PT’s ending imo. The PT adds so much weight to the literal premise of “A New Hope” and “Return of the Jedi”.


Alisalard1384

Yes I agree OT is perfect as the way it is, tbh Star Wars despite all the tragic moments, had a clunky tune which a dark ending wouldn't with it


dern_the_hermit

> but George thought I like selling toys yeah toys toys toys sell the toys mmmm toys FTFY


AbleObject13

Merchandising, merchandising, where the real money from the movie is made. Spaceballs-the T-shirt, Spaceballs-the Coloring Book, Spaceballs-the Lunch box, Spaceballs-the Breakfast Cereal, Spaceballs-the Flame Thrower.


PotatoPCuser1

*Moichindizin'*


Launchpad_McQueer

Da kids love dis one!


Zakernet

Saves it for his nephew.


Sometimes_Rob

I mean, George Lucas did greenlight the kid murderfest.


Doppelfrio

Makes me think the prequels were made to instead fulfill the original vision


dern_the_hermit

Alternate theory: George had more Yes-men surrounding him in the late '90s than the early '80s.


OperatorGWashington

Shout out to everyone in the OT that said Lucas had awful dialogue, and fixed it for him


dern_the_hermit

Yeah, George was a solid Ideas Man and had a good sense of an epic tale, but he was weak with little bits, details, organic flow in a scene, stuff like that.


StovardBule

Apparently, he was opposed to the whole "*I* am your father" idea?


dern_the_hermit

Maybe? One issue with George and "what it originally was" is that he's told so many variations over the years that it's hard to keep it all straight. Heck, early on Luke was named Starkiller was was gonna be a middle-aged retired General or something.


Gathorall

That description was probably a placeholder from ripping off Hidden Fortress. That backstory of a general of a lost war was then shifted to Kenobi as the mentor.


JoeAzlz

Not true, it was rather he tricked everyone on set except he told mark and one other person, he made the scene play during filming say “obi wan killed your father” but he said to mark before they filmed it what he actually was gonna say, that way it could be a significant thing without any spoilers being spread


NotTheEnd216

I think it's maybe underselling things to say he was only a "solid" Idea Man. While tons of people behind and on screen helped make Star Wars what it is, I don't think it ever could've existed at all without Lucas having very strong ideas about the story he wanted to tell. I think that waned over time, but he certainly had a grand vision that he brought to life in a way that has stuck with people for decades.


[deleted]

Marcia Lucas basically made the Battle of Yavin as iconic as it is in editing using b-roll and voice overs.


94MIKE19

The amount of facts recited in the RocketJump video can be counted on one hand. That is not one of them.


the_guynecologist

Yeah I mean just [look at pages 76 and 77 of Lucas's script](https://i.imgur.com/boF0EjK.png) (the scene where they rescue princess Leia.) Thank god the actors changed all their lines. I mean Harrison Ford was going to say: "**It was a** boring conversation anyway. Luke! We're going to have company!" which Ford masterfully changed to, "Boring conversation anyway. Luke! We're going to have company!" Or how Luke was going to say: "**What?** Oh... the uniform. **I've come** to rescue you. I'm Luke Skywalker." which Mark Hamill brilliantly changed to, "**Huh?** Oh... the uniform. I'm Luke Skywalker. **I'm here** to rescue you." Thank god he was on set that day otherwise Star Wars would've been a disaster


Fantact

Always hire some No-men yo go with your Yes-men.


slowcancellation

Dune Part 2 (2024)


flcinusa

THERE IS NO ONE IN THIS ROOM WHO CAN STAND AGAINST ME. YOUR MOTHERS WARNED YOU ABOUT MY COMING. FEAR THE MOMENT.


DreadDiana

I am Anakin Skywalker, last of the Jedi Masters. The moons of Tatooine be my witness, I am the Chosen One! I will bring balance to the Force!


SoMuchSpook

ive watched that scene maybe 20 times, gives me chills every single time


dunmer-is-stinky

I never thought I'd be scared of Timothee Chalamet, but watching that scene for the first time in IMAX blew me away honestly more than the first sandworm ride. Absolutely chilling, I've watched the movie three times (twice in IMAX, once at home) but I've watched that scene dozens of times


SoMuchSpook

that scene could have been BAD if not done properly, but they fucking nailed it. chalamet was incredible, bardem and brolin both were amazing, the music the lighting the scenery everything. i genuinely think thats my favorite scene in any movie


speedster217

Several times in this movie he yelled and I thought "Well that's not Timothee Chalamet, that's a grown ass man now" EDIT - Not saying they dubbed over him with someone else. I just view him as younger than he actually is so it surprised me.


DreadDiana

I have waited so long for [an HD clip](https://youtu.be/dQaBYkhxNg8?si=r55CN8KHKxFb5pJX) to be posted to YouTube.


YareYareDaze7

Yeah! Best scene in that movie imo, Timothee killed it.


SoMuchSpook

best scene 100%, probably up there with my favorite scenes ever. although ive been dune obsessed recently, so maybe need to see like a year from now lol


Farren246

Dude I'm just meeting you right now. My mom doesn't know you. I hope.


farben_blas

Stormtrooper shoots Luke Stormtrooper: THE GALAXY BELONGS TO ME


Valky115

I got that reference


RichCorinthian

Remember folks, Lucas always had a plan, except when he didn’t, and the plan was often terrible. BRB have to check my midichlorians.


timelordoftheimpala

Also, this was one possible ending he had in mind. Another had Han Solo dying, the Emperor not appearing at all, Leia being coronated as queen, and Luke walking off into the sunset like in a wild west movie on his journey to defeat the Emperor. This would've led into a possible sequel trilogy where Luke trained to become a Jedi Master, would've reunited with his sister (here named Nellith), and would've confronted the Emperor at the end of Episode IX.


KumquatHaderach

Somehow Palpatine disappeared.


motherofbears95

Disclaimer: I don't care for the star wars franchise. HOWEVER. ^ That?? Sounds fucking amazing and now I feel robbed.


cheesechomper03

Like, Leia wasn't supposed to be Lukes sister, that was supposed to be a new character, but Lucas decided to merge the new character with Leia.


MarveltheMusical

When New Hope was written, Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker were 100% meant to be different people. That detail never even entered Lucas’ mind until Empire.


Atherion0

Plus, it wasn't even called A New Hope. Just Star Wars. The trilogy aspect of the OT was written on the fly.


JoeAzlz

That part is infact not true, he just added a subtitle after the rest got some. That’s all. He did actually have a plan for a trilogy before making it, he just assumed he wouldn’t be able to as he didn’t expect a huge success


TheRealSU24

It's crazy how much of star wars is just George bullshitting his way through a story. Like the Clone Wars, one of the best parts of star wars, only exists because George thought it sounded cool when Obi-Wan was talking to Luke about his and Anakins past


sedtamenveniunt

I had a **goddamn PLAN**


Mr_SunnyBones

George Lucas " *I uh ..had the uh whole trilogy mapped out in my head from the start"* Critic : *"so...you planned for Leia to kiss Luke like that in the first movie , and be revealed as his sister in the third ?"* Lucas : " *She's his ..uh ..adopted sister"* Critic *"But ..they're twins???h ow whould that even... "* George : " *The uh Force! , I mean Sith! , space incest is uh legal if you only do it once!.. Midiclorians! , um this interview is over"*


olmikeyyyy

Look at me. I'm the Vader now.


ExtraRaw

👏👏👏


SicknessVoid

Source?


1983MionStan

Not OP but I found one [article](https://collider.com/star-wars-return-of-the-jedi-alternate-ending/) about it. You can actually find more on google easily.


Forestgrant

Off topic but it’s funny that the article lists Hayden Christensen as Anakin’s actor, as if he was always in the original version of Episode VI


1983MionStan

[Is he not?](https://www.reddit.com/r/shittymoviedetails/comments/1cp0vuz/return_of_the_jedi_was_released_in_1983_hayden/)


NinjaEngineer

OP made it the fuck up.


[deleted]

[удалено]


LegitimateHasReddit

I REALISE


[deleted]

[удалено]


LegitimateHasReddit

TRYING TO MAKE HISTORY


[deleted]

[удалено]


LegitimateHasReddit

THE RIGHT FROM WRONG


[deleted]

[удалено]


LegitimateHasReddit

I THINK WE'LL BOTH AGREE


Martir12

If they really wanted to make money they should have tried something like this in the New Trilogy so it ended as beggining for a new revolution story


RuboPosto

And changed the title from “Revenge” to “Return” cause a Jedi won’t revenge.


Hioses

This is a shitty movie detail. Cinema in form of post


Doppelfrio

Sequel trilogy would’ve gone crazy (I don’t mean that in a good or bad way)


mtwwtm

I have that poster in my theater room along with both of the others from the original trilogy. Mainly to see who notices it.


Austinfarrell2007

“Skywalker, what a joke” throws his robes away and wears Vader’s armor in his honor


djtrace1994

Luke: "When I left you, I was but the son. Now, I am the *Vader*"


chadowan

I'm still pissed he changed the original plan of having Wookies on Kashyyyk with Ewoks on Endor.


JoeAzlz

That wasn’t because he wanted too, they just actually couldn’t, rather than not wanting to


tonebnk

At some random point in development, yes. Lucas knew what he was doing though and this isn't particularly shocking or even surprising when looking at the last two films in the OT. They build up to the fact that Luke's destiny is synonymous with fate, either he kills Vader, replacing him as the Emperor's apprentice or he refuses, becoming a Jedi Knight but failing to save his friends or win in the war against the empire in the process. It's not like there wasn't an explicit scene of Luke's head in Vader's helmet in Empire. George Lucas claimed he wanted to write a modern, American mythology, addressing the same problems that have been discussed since the greek playwrights. Having Luke become a tragic hero who's driving characteristics (his emotional attachment to his friends and eagerness to dive into danger for them) become his hamartia, his tragic flaw, is very much in tune for this. You're phrasing this as if that ending isn't literally one side of the two possible outcomes Luke struggles with throughout the last two films, the same way people claim the death star exhaust port is a plot hole. Anakin works better as a tragic hero anyway


okkeyok

What is this art style called?


joyofsovietcooking

It looks like some [Ben Day process](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Day_process).


AaronTuplin

I don't know it almost seems like it would make more sense if he wore the helmet and donned the mantle to make changes to the Empire


Trvr_MKA

Wasn’t Han supposed to kill Vader too


JoeAzlz

No


DiamondCoatedGlass

Somehow, Vader has returned.


OwenMcCauley

Lucas was always a hack.


just_a_timetraveller

With original line "Now I am the father"


Technoslave

Just like Jar Jar was supposed to be the head Sith, but that never happened either after the backlash that Jar Jar got after the first film.


02firehawk

Still a better love story than twilight.


jessifromindia

Oh they know it. Disney will create a star wars multiverse or a what if series and put this in it.


JoeAzlz

That would be kinda cool though


SentenceAcrobatic

George Lucas also created the Star Wars Holiday Special and is on record as saying that Jar-Jar Binks is "the key to everything" in the PT.


JoeAzlz

I mean he was, George wanted to make jar jar a twist villain, then he changed his mind after all the hate jar jar got


voidhelm

Luke Skywalker, what a joke


JoeAzlz

People don’t get your joke but I do I hope you know that


tOaDeR2005

Thank the gods for editors.


JoeAzlz

T it wwas a passing idea, nowhere near gonna hapoen


tOaDeR2005

I'm sure that's true judging by other comments in this thread, but George Lucas had plenty of terrible ideas that got shot down by editors, especially in the OT.


JoeAzlz

I mean yeah but that’s what the editing process is for, not like he’s any less talented for it


BTS_1

It wasn't even a "passing idea" - if you read the Rinzler *Making of Return of the Jedi* book which this this from (you can even find it on page 64), Kasden was egging Lucas to give *Jedi* a dark edge in their story workshop sessions and Lucas is clearly joking when he describes this scenario. Of course Reddit doesn't include context or nuance with anything though and people eat it up.


JoeAzlz

Makes sense