Star Wars is one of the most iconic movie franchises of all-time, and just about everyone alive knows about the movies — but did you know these 50 facts?
If someone asks you if you have watched Star Wars and you say “no,” the chances are you’re lying. Just about everyone has seen or is aware of Star Wars, as it has become one of the most well known and inspirational film franchises of all-time.
Whether it’s writers, actors or business executives, Star Wars has a far-reaching influence that touches on all aspects of the creative world. Filmmakers cite it as the reason they want to make movies; the merchandise deal is taught in business schools; and actors hope to one day stumble upon a role that will turn them into a Harrison Ford rags-to-action star actor.
Yet despite the fact that the film franchise is so widely beloved, there are still a wide range of facts that you may not know about the movies. There are legends, untold stories and other tidbits from the film franchise that will continue to fascinate fans and educate them about the movies to this day.
Lets sift through 50 Star Wars facts you probably didn’t know.
Next: 50. Harrison Ford Was Hired By Accident
50. Harrison Ford Was Hired By Accident
While Star Wars is one of the most famous films of all-time in the modern era, many fans forget that the franchise started out as a small independent project. The A-list casting search involved with The Force Awakens was a far cry from what George Lucas dealt with in finding a cast for A New Hope in 1976.
Actors like Al Pacino, Sylvester Stallone and James Caan all read for the role of smuggler Han Solo, but didn’t get the part. Instead, Lucas hired Harrison Ford, in what can only be described as an accident.
Ford, who worked with Lucas on American Graffiti, came in to help read with actors for their parts as a favor to the creator/director. It just so happened that Ford was reading the line of Han Solo, and Lucas was convinced in those test runs that Ford was the man for the job.
That’s fate for you.
Next: 49. Orson Welles Almost Starred As Darth Vader
Darth Vader takes charge in “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.”
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm/Walt Disney
49. Orson Welles Was Almost Cast As Darth Vader
There is a long list of actors who almost starred in Star Wars, and one of the biggest names was also one of the closest to being cast. Orson Welles is a god among filmmakers, as he’s a superb actor who doubles as a legendary and groundbreaking director. Citizen Kane is still regarded by some as the greatest movie ever made, and Wells has a long history with being associated with iconic projects.
In addition to being an actor and director, Welles is known for his booming voice. It was those vocals that George Lucas originally wanted for Darth Vader.
Lucas feared that the actor was too famous for the role, however, and there was conflict as far as Wells interest went. The role ended up going to James Earl Jones, and remains one of, if not the most recognizable roles he has ever played. Having Wells as Darth Vader would have been cool, but the legacy of that character will always and forever belong to Jones.
Next: 48. Yoda, Oscar Winner?
48. George Lucas Wanted Yoda to Win An Oscar
When The Empire Strikes Back was released in 1980 it was a stunning success. Not only was the film a smash hit at the box office, but it was instantly regarded as one of the best sequels ever made. Next to The Godfather Part II, many people today still hold Empire in the highest regards, honoring it with the title of the best Star Wars movie of the bunch.
George Lucas knew he had something special on his hands and he tried to go for Oscar gold. While the film itself wasn’t nominated for any major Oscars like A New Hope was, that didn’t stop Lucas from lobbying for one.
As the story goes, Lucas politicked hard to get a Supporting Actor nomination for Frank Oz following the actor’s portrayal of Yoda in Empire Strikes Back. That didn’t happen thanks to the Academy ruling that puppeteers aren’t actors, but there was indeed a campaign in play for Yoda to earn an Oscar nomination in 1981.
Next: 47. Obi-Wan Almost Returned From The Dead
47. Obi-Wan Almost Returned From The Dead in Return of the Jedi
When Obi-Wan was killed in A New Hope it was the springboard that led to Luke Skywalker starting his journey as the Jedi’s last hope. It was a surprising death, but one that was almost undone in the final installment of the original trilogy.
In an early draft of Return of the Jedi, there was conversation about having Obi-Wan come back in the flesh to help Luke defeat Darth Vader at the end of the film.
This is an incredibly stupid idea — one of many that were pitched in the story sessions for ROTJ but never ended up happening.
Having Obi-Wan come back would have been an interesting twist, but it also would have gone against the entire mythology of the films and, not to mention, ruined ghost Obi-Wan forever.
Next: 46. Blame Stanley Kubrick For Production Delays
46. Stanley Kubrick Delayed Production of The Empire Strikes Back
George Lucas lists Stanley Kubrick among his inspirations, but the famous director was one of the reasons that The Empire Strikes Back faced production delays. The headaches were caused by a fire that started at the studio where Kubrick was filming The Shining in 1979.
To make sure he didn’t miss his schedule, Kubrick moved into the studio where Lucas and Irvin Kershner were filming The Empire Strikes Back; however he took much longer than originally planned to complete filming.
This isn’t a huge surprise to anyone who is familiar with Kubrick, as he was a notorious perfectionist who took multiple takes to complete scenes. Such was the case with The Shining, and it led to The Empire Strikes Back having to work around his schedule to meet its May 1980 release date.
All eventually went well, but Kubrick’s perfectionist attitude had a far-reaching effect on other projects he had nothing to do with.
Next: 45.George Lucas Was Fined For The Opening Crawl
45. George Lucas Was Fined For Creating The Iconic Opening Crawl
One of the most iconic pieces of the Star Wars films is the opening crawl that opens the fils. It’s been parodied time and time again, and has become a defining quality of the franchise.
But it has cost George Lucas dearly over the years, for really lame reasons.
As part of the rules involved with the filmmaking unions, movies are supposed to list the credits before a movie starts, or at some point in the beginning of the film. Obviously that doesn’t happen in any of the Star Wars films, as the credits don’t appear until the very end of each movie.
Lucas wasn’t fined for A New Hope, because the “Lucasfilm” card before the film counted as credit for his involvement in the film; however he was fined by the DGA for the use of the opening crawl in Empire Strikes Back. Because Lucas didn’t direct the film, Irvin Kershner needed to be credited before it started — and he wasn’t.
Next: 44. R2-D2 Was Supposed To Speak English?
44. R2-D2 Was Originally Supposed To Speak English
R2-D2 has remained one of the most adorable characters in any film, as he doesn’t say a word but has more personality than most of the actors in the prequel films.
That wasn’t always going to be the case though. In the early developments of A New Hope, George Lucas originally envisioned R2 speaking english and being sarcastic comic relief. That never ended up happening, and we’re going to be eternally thankful for that decision by Lucas.
A bonus fact here is that the trash-talking R2 was used in the Family Guy parody when Cleveland Brown took on the role. While fans like to blast Lucas for changing things about his franchise, this is one example of an alteration that no one can say a negative peep about.
Next: 43. Steven Spielberg In Return Of The Jedi?
43. Steven Spielberg Was Supposed To Direct Return of the Jedi
The relationship between George Lucas and Steven Spielberg is well documented, and it was a friendship that almost led to the latter directing a Star Wars film.
Lucas and Spielberg came up in the same golden era of filmmaking in the 1970s and later collaborated on the creation of the Indiana Jones franchise. But Lucas had eyes set on Steven Spielberg directing what would have been, at the time, the last film in the trilogy.
Spielberg passed on the chance to direct Return of the Jedi, while Lucas moved on to other potential top-notch directing targets like David Lynch and David Cronenberg. The director of the film ended up being Richard Marquand, who was fired during filming with Lucas assuming the role for what was left of production.
Next: 42. The Phantom Menace Helped Brad Pitt
42. Meet Joe Black Was A Box Office Smash Thanks To The Phantom Menace
Back in the infancy of the Internet, movie trailers were still a big deal at the theater. The Phantom Menace came about right at the edge of two eras, a time when trailers were absorbed in the cinemas and also digested online. Because not everyone had the Internet to stream the trailer for the newest Star Wars film in 1998, they flocked to the theaters to see it.
This boosted the ticket sales of Meet Joe Black, which was already looking to be a box office hit since it starred Brad Pitt.
However, the ticket sales went through the roof when fans heard that the trailer for the Phantom Menace was attached to the beginning of the film. Fans would buy tickets to the movie, see the trailer and then leave.
This distorted the box office numbers for Meet Joe Black, but you won’t hear anyone who helped make that movie complaining about that.
Next: 41. Han Solo In Episode III
41. Han Solo Was Supposed To Be In Revenge of the Sith
After two disappointing prequel films, there was a lot riding on how Revenge of the Sith ended up playing out. Thankfully, the film was fantastic and gave us the first good Star Wars film since 1980. It also nearly featured one of the original trilogy’s most prominent characters.
One of the ideas kicked around the story room for Revenge of the Sith was that young Han Solo would appear and give some backstory to the character we don’t know that much about. Han’s tale isn’t that well known to non-book readers, and having him in Revenge of the Sith would have helped bridge the two trilogies.
It’s unclear where Han would have showed up, but it would have been a small role — possibly on Kashyyyk with the Wookies — and it sounds like the type of throwaway cameo we would have eaten up with glee.
Next: 40. A-List Actor Almost Played Darth Vader
40. A Superstar Actor Almost Played The Unmasked Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi
When the idea of unmasking Darth Vader came up in the development of Return of the Jedi, it was proposed that an A-list actor play the role. There were a few names kicked around, including Lawrence Oliver, but George Lucas eventually ruled against the idea.
In Lucas’ mind, the decision to have an A-list actor be revealed as Darth Vader would have taken away from the moment. He’s not wrong, but he’s also kind of a hypocrite in this regard.
Wile Lucas refused to have an A-list actor play Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi, he ended up erasing Sebastian Shaw from the later releases of the film by putting in Hayden Christensen. This was meant to connect the prequel trilogy to the original trilogy, but it flew in the face of Lucas’ fear about taking away from the moment.
Next: 39. Peter Cushing Wore Slippers
39. Peter Cushing Wore Slippers During A New Hope Scenes
While Alec Guinness was notoriously grumpy about being in Star Wars, another veteran actor embraced the role fully. Peter Cushing wasn’t the thespian award-winner that Guinness was, but he still had a distinguished career heading into A New Hope.
Cushing’s major roles were in the Hammer horror films of the decades past, which if you’ve seen you know that the man wasn’t afraid of embracing campiness. What he wouldn’t embrace was being uncomfortable while on set, which is why he would wear slippers all the time.
Save for the shots where his character, Grand Moff Tarkin, needed to a full body shot, Cushing would wear slippers to make sure his feet didn’t get sore. So, whenever you’re watching A New Hope and there’s a medium or close up shot, know that Cushing is wearing slippers for his own comfort.
Next: 38. What The Hell Is A Yoda?
38. Yoda’s Species Is Never Mentioned In Any Of The Movies
While Yoda is one of the most well-known Star Wars characters ever introduced, we don’t really know what the hell he is. He’s been called a muppet, most commonly, but there really isn’t a correct thing to call everyone’s favorite green Jedi.
Not once throughout the entire Star Wars saga is Yoda’s species once mentioned. This probably stems back to the fact that it really doesn’t matter what Yoda is, because he’s a badass no matter what.
It’s not something we’re transfixed on, but Yoda’s species not being mentioned once in the entire run of the franchise is more than just notable. It’s a bit of an oversight, but then again it’s a mundane detail that doesn’t add or take away from our enjoyment of the character.
Next: 37. Luke's Name Was Changed After A New Hope
Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in the “Star Wars” saga.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
37. Luke Skywalker’s Name Was Changed
Many Star Wars fans are privy to the fact that Luke Skywalker’s original name in A New Hope was Luke Starkiller, but what isn’t as widely known is that it took forever for the name to be changed.
There is some debate about just when the name was amended, but it’s believed that most of the production of A New Hope was completed before the name was changed from Starkiller to Skywalker. Some believe that it was changed before filming began, some believe that it happened after. The most common rumor is that the name was changed in one of the late drafts of the script, but no one can know for certain.
George Lucas may not be perfect, as not stating the full name of your main character is a bit of an oversight, but it’s a mistake that ended up paying off in the long run.
Next: 36. Alec Guinness Made A Fortune Off Star Wars
36. Alec Guinness Earned Over $95 Million From A New Hope
It’s well known that Alec Guinness was not thrilled with the idea of forever being associated with Star Wars, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t greatly benefit from the success of the film.
While Sir Alec might have been grouchy about being Obi-Wan, he negotiated a salary of 2 percent of the box office return off the film’s backend. This is a deal that ended up paying Guinness upwards of $95 million throughout the course of the theatrical run Star Wars over the years.
This sort of makes you wonder why he was always so bitter about being associated with the film, as he was one of many to unexpectedly hit the jackpot with the deals they made regarding the success of the movie. Then again, he’s a thespian who didn’t care about the money and acted for the love of the craft — so what’s $95 million to a guy like that?
Next: 35. Tatooine Sets Still Exist Today
35. Tatooine Sets Built In 1977 In Tunisia Are Still Standing
The prequel films were blasted for relying too much on visual effects and CGI to create the worlds they took place in, but it wasn’t always that way.
When George Lucas was making A New Hope back in 1976, he went on location to film the scenes on Tatoonie, traveling to Tunisia to make the magic happen. This meant that sets needed to be built in the desert for filming, some of which are still standing today.
The sets were in such great shape that the production returned in 2001 while filming Attack of the Clones, and again this past year with The Force Awakens. So if you ever want to travel to a galaxy far, far away, all you need to do is travel to Tunisia.
The twin suns are not guaranteed to appear, however.
Next: 34. Harrison Ford Was Horribly Underpaid
34. Harrison Ford Was Payed $10,000 For A New Hope
While Alec Guinness made bank for A New Hope, the same cannot be said for another star of the movie. Harrison Ford already had films like American Graffiti and The Conversation under his belt when he appeared in Star Wars, but he was hardly a bankable star worth spending a lot of money on.
People tend to forget that the original Star Wars was an independent film largely funded by George Lucas himself. This meant the young and unknown cast of the film needed to be paid on the light end of the scale.
Apparently the light end of the scale began at $10,000.
That’s nothing to sneeze at, as 10 grand is a lot of money in any era. But given the success of the film and its legacy, it seems like highway robbery that Ford was paid so little. He would end up being alright though, turning into an Oscar-nominated action star a few decades later.
Next: 33. Luke's Lightsaber Color Change
33. Luke’s Lightsaber Almost Wasn’t Green In Return of the Jedi
It’s not the size, but really the color of your lightsaber that matters. The hue of a lightsaber is a telling clue as to which side of The Force you’re fighting on, and up until 1983 there were only two colors for the weapons.
That all changed in Return of the Jedi, as George Lucas decided that a green lightsaber is what Luke Skywalker needed.
The reason for the switch was practical, as the blue lightsaber showed up poorly against the backdrops that were used for sets, and it needed to pop. Specifically, the lightsaber needed to stand out against the light background during the battle in the Dune Sea on Jabba’s Yacht. The color that showed up best was green, which is what Lucas ended up going with.
As we found out a decade later, basically every color under the rainbow can be used for a lightsaber — and it was.
Next: 32. Darth Maul Voice Change
32. Darth Maul’s Voice Was Changed In The Phantom Menace
One of the biggest badasses in all the galaxy was Darth Maul. He went out like a punk in The Phantom Menace, but before that he was the coolest thing about the worst Star Wars movie. He’s best remembered for being a mostly silent assassin for the Sith Order, but there was a brief scene of dialogue that ended up being immortalized by the grossly misleading trailer.
The trailer for The Phantom Menace — even today — gives off the impression that the film is good. Anyone who watched it back in the late 90s and got caught up in the hype remembers the immortal lines by Darth Maul about how the Sith will reveal themselves to the Jedi.
This wasn’t the voice of actor Ray Parks. Instead, it was British actor Peter Serafinowicz. If you’re having trouble placing that name with a face, he was the annoyed roommate in Shaun of the Dead, who also appeared in the cult series Spaced and recently had a role as a dimwitted yet charming agent in the film Spy.
Next: 31. Han Solo Was Supposed To Die in ROTJ
Star Wars Han Solo Frozen In Carbonite Wall Poster
31. Han Solo Almost Died in Return of the Jedi
One of the most well known Star Wars facts is that Han Solo was supposed to die at the end of Empire Strikes Back and not appear in Return of the Jedi. What isn’t known as well is that Han Solo almost died at the end of the final film in the original trilogy.
Harrison Ford lobbied hard for Han to die and he wasn’t alone during production. Producer Gary Kurtz pitched an idea that Han Solo dies at the end of the Rebel attack on the Empire, leaving Luke Skywalker so distraught that he abandons the rebellion and retreats into a life of obscurity — much like Obi-Wan in A New Hope.
Despite the numerous ideas to kill off Han, George Lucas ultimately decided to keep the hero alive — which is good news for the actor, as he is back in the role some 32 years later for The Force Awakens.
Next: 30. Ewoks Aren't Real, Kind Of
30. The Word ‘Ewok’ Is Never Spoken In The Original Trilogy
Ewoks are such a polarizing aspect of the Star Wars saga. They’re not the scourge of the galaxy that Jar-Jar Binks is, but they represent a sharp drop off for the Star Wars saga, not to mention the beginning of the end for George Lucas.
In fact, basically nobody wanted the Ewoks to exist expect for George Lucas, and they technically don’t exit in the Star Wars canon. Obviously, they do exist because they’re a major part of Return of the Jedi, but they really only exist to George Lucas.
Ralph McQuarrie refused to draw the Ewoks in concept artwork after he found out the Lucas wanted them to essentially be teddy bears. And no one on set, including the actors and crew, took the characters seriously. The biggest nail in the Ewok coffin is that the term “Ewok” is never spoken once in any of the films.
Jar-Jar was bad, but at least he ended up being mentioned a few different times.
Next: 29. Darth Vader Is Banned From Events
29. Darth Vader Is Banned From Official Events
In a huge blow to fans all over the galaxy, Darth Vader is, sadly, not able to attend conventions. Of course, the character himself can appear in costume, but the actor who played him in the original trilogy cannot.
David Prowse, who played Vader in the franchise’s first three films, confirmed in 2010 that he was not allowed to attend any Star Wars or Lucasfilm events for the rest of his life.
"“The only thing I’ve been told is I’ve burnt too many bridges between Lucasfilm and myself."
The reason for the banishment apparently stems back to an ongoing feud that Prowse and Lucas have been engaged in since 1983. As the story goes, Lucas promised Prowse that when Darth Vader’s mask is removed at the end of Return of the Jedi, the actor would be “seen and heard” as Anakin Skywalker. This never happened, as Sebastian Shaw was cast as Anakin. Prowse, reportedly, never let it go.
Next: 28. Qui-Gon's Gillette Communicator
28. Qui-Gon’s Comlink Is A Gillette Razor
Sometimes when you’re in the middle of making a multi-million dollar movie you need to improvise. Often times this improvisation comes as a result of not having enough money, though sometimes it’s due to not being fully prepared.
Whatever the reason was, The Phantom Menace saw some practical improvisation on set when it came to Qui-Gon’s communicator.
In a scene on Tattooine, Qui-Gon is seen talking to Obi-Wan through his ComLink. While the effect works flawlessly, in reality what Liam Neeson is taking into is a women’s Gillette razor from the late 90s. The film gets knocked for being the worst of the saga, but if this were to have happened a few years later you better believe that ComLink would be CGI’d into the film in post-production.
Next: 27. E.T. Phoned Home To Star Wars
27. E.T. Was In The Phantom Menace
When Steven Spielberg was coming into his own in the 1970s, he was riding a wave of young filmmakers that included contemporaries like Francis Ford Coppola, Brian De Palma and George Lucas. They were the rat pack of directors, and they routinely helped each other out, or gave each other nods to their work.
Spielberg did this in his 1982 film E.T., by having Star Wars featured prominently in the film. This wasn’t just to create a real world scenario that gave us a grounded look at being a child in the late 70s and early 80s, it was also a nod to Lucas and his successful franchise.
In 1999, Lucas repaid the favor by including E.T. in The Phantom Menace. In a scene at the Republic Senate, some of the alien lifeforms represented are a bunch of E.T’s. It’s a quick callback and a deep reference, but one that Lucas included as a nod back to his filmmaking pal.
Next: 26. You Might Have A Bad Feeling About This Slide
26. “I Have A Bad Feeling About This” Is Spoken In Every Film And Most Books
A running gag throughout all six — and soon to be seven — films in the franchise is the line “I have a bad feeling about this.” It’s spoken for the first time in A New Hope by both Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.
Since 1977, the line has popped up in self referential fashion in every single theatrical Star Wars movie.
The Phantom Menace: It’s the first line of dialog that Obi-Wan speaks in the very first scene of the movie.
Attack of the Clones: Anakin says it during the Geonosis arena battle sequence.
Revenge of the Sith: Obi-Wan says it as Anakin flies them towards a large battleship hangar bay in the opening battle scene.
Empire Strikes Back: Leia utters the line when the Millennium Falcon is in the belly of the astroid monster.
Return of the Jedi: The line is said twice. The first time is when C-3PO and Artoo land on Tatooine and approach Jabba’s palace. The second time is when Han is on Endor following the group’s capture by the Ewoks.
Next: 25. Disco Star Wars
25. Disco Star Wars Exists
When Star Wars hit it big at the box office in the late 70s, it fell victim to the trends of the time. Not only did it create a boom in Sci-Fi films and literature, but it also became part of the Disco craze.
Yes, Star Wars Disco exists and it’s as awesomely terrible as you’d expect it to be.
Being a fan of Star Wars means loving the good and the bad — and Star Wars Disco falls squarely in the middle of the divide.
While it’s an affront to our musical senses, it has become part of the Star Wars lexicon over the years and has become less terrible as the years have passed. It’s campy as hell, but it’s still not the Holiday Special.
Next: 24. Salty Naboo Waterfalls
24. The Waterfalls on Naboo In The Phantom Menace Are Salt
The Phantom Menace gets a really bad rap for it’s overuse of CGI and green screen, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t plenty of practical effects used to create the film’s scenery.
Take, for instance, the waterfalls on Naboo. They look like CGI effects put in during post-production but there’s more to them than that. The Industrial Lights and Magic crew forwent the CGI route — mostly — to create the waterfalls by using Epsom salt. All they did was pour it out and take the shots of the salt to create the majestic waterfalls we see in the backgrounds.
This effect came back in Attack of the Clones for the scenes with Anakin and Padme.
Next: 23. The Rebels Were Totally Sexist
23. There Are No Female Fighter Pilots In Original Trilogy
There was one female hero in the original Star Wars trilogy and she was a princess who really didn’t do much except inappropriately kiss her bother and fall in love with a scoundrel. Princess Leia was a badass, but she was the only badass among her gender. This mostly has to do with the fact that she was the only female character who ever did battle in the original films.
Female pilots were added in subsequent re-releases of the film but A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back still includes no female fighter pilots in any of the space battle sequences.
While we don’t want to say we were rooting for the wrong side, oppression apparently went both ways when it came to the Rebels and the Empire.
Next: 22. Tie Fighter Elephants?
22. Tie Fighter Sound Effect Is Just An Elephant And A Car
One of the most iconic sound effects in Star Wars‘ endless catalog of classics belongs to the Tie Fighter. The sound of it flying by and yawning at us is a fixture of our childhoods, and we all remember making the noise on more than one occasion when playing with toys.
But just what the hell is that sound?
As it turns out, it’s combination of an elephant and a car.
This is once again credit to Ben Burt and his Oscar-winning talents at taking sounds we hear everyday and turning them into things we forever associate with Star Wars. When you slow it down — which is the effect played after the first one in the video — you begin to hear the mashing up of the two sounds.
From slapping cables to create the blaster sound effects to the practical things that make up Darth Vader’s breathing and the hum of a lightsaber,Burt was exceptional. His Tie Fighter sound effect combo is just brilliant.
Next: 21. This Is What The Original Millennium Falcon Looked Like
21. The Millennium Falcon Almost Looked Way Different
We are all familiar with the Millennium Falcon and it’s place in the Star Wars lore, but one of the most iconic ships in the universe almost looked very different.
When George Lucas was making the original Star Wars in 1977, he ended up changing a lot of things that he came up with in the concept phase of development. From the way Chewbacca would look to the name of the main character in the films, Lucas wasn’t always chided for making changes to his famous films. One of the alterations he made was to the Millennium Falcon.
Originally, the Falcon was supposed to be a longer ship that was more of a cruiser than it was a pirate vessel. This concept wasn’t dropped in favor of the one that became the Millennium Falcon, rather it was just shifted around. The ship became the Blockade Runner we see at the beginning of A New Hope while the world eventually saw the final Millennium Falcon design later on in the film.
Next: 20. There Were Never Any Clones
20. All Of The Clones in Attack of the Clones Are CGI
Everyone loves to hate on The Phantom Menace for abusing CGI, but it wasn’t the worst offender of the prequel films. Attack of the Clones was one of the first Star Wars films to be entirely shot on blue screen and not on location in physical destinations.
The Phantom Menace was shot in studios with CGI, but at least they sought out practical locations in Italy for scenes at the Naboo Palace. AOTC abused CGI, but it wasn’t because of laziness. While Stanley Kubrick might not approve of the less than perfectionist method George Lucas took, the creation of the clone army was indeed a science project in real life.
All of the clone troopers seen in uniform and in battle are CGI creations. Actors were used for scenes where the clones had no helmets, but there was never any physical armor on them — it was all green screened in later in post-production. All of the action sequences were creating using CGI clones — something that makes sense but still sucks, in a way.
Next: 19. Galactic Symbolism
19. Galactic Empire Symbolism in Revenge Of The Sith
George Lucas is not what you’d call a visionary director. He’s an idea man — something evidenced by the fact that he created Star Wars and helped create Indiana Jones — but he’s not an auteur. Still, he grasps the basic concept of visual cues and symbolism, something that he showed off in 2005’s Revenge of the Sith.
In the scene where Anakin is being operated on and transformed into Darth Vader, there is an overhead shot that reveals the way the operating table is laid out, and it resembles the Imperial Symbol.
This isn’t earth shattering symbolism, but it at least shows us that Lucas was trying his best to make an actual movie and not just a commercial for the toys he was going to sell afterwords.
Next: 18. Liam Neeson Was Too Tall To Be A Jedi
18. Liam Neeson Was Too Tall for The Phantom Menace Sets
Liam Neeson is a man of many skills, but he’s far from a perfect actor. Production on The Phantom Menace was effected by something someone probably should have foreseen yet still slipped through the cracks.
Neeson is tall, like really tall.
In fact, the actor is so tall that he towered over some of the sets that were built, and adjustments needed to be made. Sets were rebuilt, shooting was shifted around and eventually the problem was solved. Neeson’s height wasn’t the biggest problem The Phantom Menace had, but it goes to show that from the start basically nothing went right with that flick.
Next: 17. Obi-Wan Hated Star Wars
17. Alec Guinness Hated Star Wars
When Alec Guinness was hired to star in A New Hope, it was a massive grab for a film that was truly independent. Guinness was in the twilight of his career, but he was still a legendary thespian who had films like Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia under his belt. So the idea of an actor of his stature appearing in a science fiction movie might have seemed a bit odd to some.
Guinness was among that faction. The actor notoriously hated the film after it came out, and distanced himself from the movie and the role of Obi-Wan as much as he could. One famous story involves a child approaching Guinness asking him for an autograph, to which Guinness would only agree to sign if the child agreed to never again watch Star Wars.
Alec Guinness is everyone’s grumpy grandpa — and he’s always going to be Obi-Wan.
Next: 16. The Time Cheers Visited Empire Strikes Back
16. Cliff Clavin Brought Cheers To Empire Strikes Back
John Ratzenberger made a name for himself on the hit series Cheers, but he has bounced around in basically every movie we ever loved from our childhood as well.
He is famous for appearing in throwaway roles in Pixar movies, and even had a larger role as Hamm the Piggy Bank in all three Toy Story movies. Just when you thought you had figured out all the movies Ratzenberger was in from your childhood, he pops up in The Empire Strikes Back.
Just like his later Pixar roles, Ratzenberger has a throwaway role as a Rebel base commander on Hoth. He’s briefly seen and has no real impact on the story at all. Still, he’s there, and that’s basically the career of Ratzenberger — he’s just there. To further tie things together, Pixar was originally created by George Lucas as a division of his special effects department, Industrial Lights and Magic.
So, not only is Ratzenberger connected to Star Wars thanks to his small role in The Empire Strikes Back, but the Pixar lineage that goes back to Lucas means the actor is even more engrained in Star Wars lore than we first thought.
Next: 15. Obi-Wan's Uncle Was A Rebel
15. Wedge Antillies Is Obi-Wan’s Uncle
Wedge is Obi-Wan’s uncle? Well, not in the stories, but the actors who play those roles are indeed related in real life.
Denis Lawson plays the best Rebel pilot not named Luke in the original trilogy, and was instrumental in helping destroy the Death Star in both A New Hope and again in Return of the Jedi. But that’s not his only connection to the Star Wars universe.
In real life, Lawson is the uncle of actor Ewan McGregor — who played the younger version of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequel films. The two never acted on screen together in the same Star Wars movie, but there’s still time for that to happen.
McGregor has been open about wanting to play Obi-Wan again, but Lawson refused a role in The Force Awakens after he felt it was nothing more than a gag for old fans and didn’t have an impact on the story. Still, folks can rest at night knowing that Star Wars is so deep that it literally has a family tree within it.
Next: 14. Star Wars Coins Are Real Money
14. Star Wars Collectable Coins Are Real Cash
While the movies are what draws everyone in and serves as the foundation of the Star Wars legacy, it’s the collectables that have since made the franchise into something bigger.
George Lucas’ infamous toy deal with 20th Century Fox in the 70s changed the way studios conduct merchandising business, as a multibillion dollar world of collectables was spawned from A New Hope and beyond. While most collectables need to be resold to have any extra cash value to their owner, that’s not true of all Star Wars merchandise.
A small island in the Pacific called Niue accepts Star Wars coins as real cash. These would be the collectable dollar coins that have been minted to have characters branded onto them. While you won’t get much at a store in America with these coins, if you ever find yourself in a pinch while in Niue, just reach for the Star Wars coins and let the Force guide you the rest of the way.
Next: 13. Bugs Bunny as C-3PO?
13. Mel Blanc Almost Voiced C-3PO
There is a long list of actors who were almost cast in the various Star Wars films, but given how large the films became it’s interesting to look back and think about what might have been.
One of the most interesting casting misses was the legendary Mel Blanc playing the role of C-3PO in A New Hope. Blanc is the genius voice actor behind such classic Warners Bros. cartoons like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. He was Seth MacFarlane before there was a Seth MacFarlane — and both almost wound up connected to Star Wars.
While MacFarlane is a fan and leans on the films for humor in his work, Blanc was almost cast in the films themselves. Instead of Blanc, actor Anthony Daniels took up the role of C-3PO and the rest was history. Had Blanc been cast though, his death in 1989 would have needed to be worked around if everyone’s favorite paranoid droid was destined to appear in the prequels.
Next: 12. Leonardo DiCaprio Almost Saved Attack of the Clones
12. Leonardo DiCaprio Passed On Playing Anakin Skywalker
There have been a slew of actors deemed “dreamy” to have sidestepped the teenie-bopper film roles to have actual careers as thespians. Heath Ledger infamously did this when he made it big and Leonardo DiCaprio did for the most part, as well.
After the success of Titanic, DiCaprio was the hottest young actor in Hollywood and was being offered everything from roles in films like Man in the Iron Mask to teenaged heartthrob romantic comedies. When it came time to find an older Anakin Skywalker for Attack of the Clones, George Lucas fell victim to the dreaminess of Leo and sought him out for the role.
With production starting in 2000 and rolling through 2002, DiCaprio wasn’t really feeling the franchise commitment he needed to make in order to take the role. He passed on it due to scheduling conflicts — one that ended up being Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York and the rebirth of DiCaprio as we known him today.
Next: 11. A Star Wars Horror Movie?
11. Return Of The Jedi Cast Almost Shot An Impromptu Horror Movie
When A New Hope was being filmed in Tunisia, a devastating sandstorm hit the production and ruined a ton of the sets. This ended up being a good omen for the film, as the extra time needed led to the creation of the effects we saw become revolutionary.
Return of the Jedi faced the same problem, as a sandstorm halted production in the desert where the Sarlacc scene was being shot. While sitting around being able to do nothing with Return of the Jedi, the cast and crew devised a horror movie called Blue Harvest, which they intended to shoot while they waited for the storms to pass.
Here’s what the movie would have looked like:
"“It would start with Carrie Fisher in her slave girl costume lying asleep in her trailer. We said ‘Why not put a ghost in it?’ George was going to write a five-page screenplay, I’d shoot it in a couple of days, and it would be ‘Horror Beyond Imagination.’ The story would have dune buggies coming over the hills invading the trailers, with nothing around them but graves and werewolves. We were seriously going to do it.”"
Blue Harvest was the working title of the film to thwart off paparazzi and lower the cost of shooting locations, but it has since become one of the most iconic parts of the Star Wars lore over the years.
Next: 10. David Fincher Worked On Return of the Jedi
10. David Fincher Worked On Return Of The Jedi
There have been a lot of innovations throughout the years that the Star Wars films have brought about, and not all of those Hollywood innovations were technical.
Great films have a way of inspiring great minds, but it’s rare for great minds to work on great films before they hit it big. That was the case with Oscar-nominated director David Fincher. The director was hired as a teenager to work with George Lucas’ special effects team Industrial Lights and Magic, and as a result worked on Return of the Jedi in 1983.
Fincher wouldn’t hit it big in Hollywood for another decade, when he was handed Alien 3 before going on to make classics like Seven, Fight Club, The Social Network and most recently Gone Girl.
A bonus fact is that as part of the Industrial Lights and Magic team in the early 80s, a young Fincher also worked special effects on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom — ironically the darkest of the Indiana Jones films.
Next: 9. Jar-Jar Killed Everyone
9. Jar-Jar Binks Ended The Galaxy
If there’s one character that all Star Wars fans can be universally hate, it’s Jar-Jar Binks. In a film that did nothing right and has only one redeeming quality, Jar-Jar managed to be far and away the worst thing that happened to The Phantom Menace. Seriously, there is nothing to like about that film, and yet edits of the movie that take Jar-Jar out of it instantly makes it a better flick.
George Lucas had to have known this after the backlash following The Phantom Menace, and he laid out perhaps the best troll ever. In Attack of the Clones, with the Jedi out of pocket and war looming, the fate of the universe is left in the hands of Jar-Jar, who proceeds to f–k everything up.
It’s Jar-Jar who gives Senator Palpatine emergency powers that allow him to create the clone army and effectively begin the end of the Republic as we know it. The series of events that followed from here were the near-extinction of the Jedi, the fall of the senate and the death of freedom.
Jar-Jar was literally so terrible that he killed freedom. George Lucas had have been in on that, because if he wasn’t it’s proof that he’s the Jar-Jar of the filmmaking world.
Next: 8. Paul Walker as Anakin Skywalker?
8. Paul Walker Almost Played Anakin in Attack Of The Clones
When it was announced that a new Anakin Skywalker was going to be cast for Attack of the Clones, the opportunity presented young actors in Hollywood with a chance to take on a role that could define their career. While the hype after The Phantom Menace wasn’t the greatest, the chance to forever be remembered for Star Wars that was alluring to actors.
One of those actors was the late Paul Walker.
Not only was Walker in the running to play Anakin Skywalker, but he was neck-and-neck with Hayden Christensen to win the role. He also apparently was jonesing to be cast in the part.
"“I was so scared,” he admits. “It was the worst ever. I mean, I wanted it so bad. Who wouldn’t? I grew up with STAR WARS. The conversation wasn’t about anything specific. We never got into how great STAR WARS was or anything. I didn’t want to be THAT guy, because I figured everybody else was going in there with that approach. You know, ‘You don’t understand…I grew up with it!’ As much as I WANTED to do it, I refrained.”"
Folks will attest that Walker might have ben just as bad as Christensen was — but after two movies with Mannequin Skywalker, anything would have been better.
Next: 7. The Debate Over Mark Hamil's Face
7. Mark Hamil’s Face Debate
This is a heated debate among Star Wars fans, and one that won’t go away even though we’ve seemingly been given an answer to it. The story goes that before Empire Strikes Back, Mark Hamill was in a serious car accident that required facial reconstruction. That much is true — about the accident anyways — but there are varying accounts as to what effect it had on Star Wars.
Some say the accident happened after A New Hope began filming and his surgery was needed before reshoots. Other accounts say that it happened before Empire Strikes Back and the Wampa attack scene and subsequent frost bite Luke suffers is meant as explication for his appearance post-accident.
The real story is that the accident happened at the tail-end of shooting for A New Hope in 1977 and facial surgery was needed. But that was a few years before production on Empire started, meaning the scene wasn’t written as a cover for the accident. Hamill does admit, though, that the scars we see, at least some of them, are real.
Next: 6. Obi-Wan Made Lightsaber Noises
6. Ewan McGregor Made Lightsaber Sounds While Acting
We’ve all been there and done it. Pretending to have a lightsaber and making the noises we remember from the movies. Even as adults we still do it from time to time when the paper towel roll is empty, or when we move a big stick while doing yard work.
Now if we do it in everyday life, imagine how hard it would be not to make lightsaber noises while on a Star Wars set. That’s what Ewan McGregor struggled with while filming The Phantom Menace.
As the story goes, McGregor was so into his scenes with his lightsaber that he was actually making the noises with his mouth while cameras were rolling. These were spotted and corrected in post production, but there are scenes in the film where McGregor is making lightsaber noises with his mouth but the sound is muted out.
5. Samuel L. Jackson Has A Pulp Fiction Quote Engraved on Lightsaber
Perhaps the most well-known Samuel L. Jackson role is the one that put him on the map back in 1994. Up to this point he had starred in major films like Goodfellas and Jurassic Park, but only in minor supporting roles where he’s largely unseen for most of the movie.
But Pulp Fiction was a breakout role for Jackson and his style of bombastic acting. It also refined how we use the term “bad mother f–ker.” It’s a vulgar catchphrase that has followed Jackson his entire career, and the Quentin Tarantino classic is a film he’s not forgotten.
The legend is that Jackson had “Bad Mother F–ker” engraved on the side of his lightsaber hilt for the two movies that he uses it in. Another fun fact is that Jackson was the one who suggested he have a purple lightsaber so he could spot himself easier in big fight scenes.
Next: 4. Gary Oldman, Star Wars Villain?
4. Gary Oldman Had To Drop Out As General Grievous in Revenge of the Sith
There were a slew of things that George Lucas wanted to do with what would be his final Star Wars film ever. Having Steven Spielberg direct the film was among the ideas rumored to be kicked around, but the Oscar-winning director’s affiliation with the Directors Guild of America prevented him from being eligible to direct an non-union independent feature (yes, because Lucas isn’t a DGA member, all of his Star Wars movies are considered “independent” in technical terms).
This whole thing about Lucas not being a DGA member came back to bite him again when he courted Gary Oldman to be the villain General Grievous in Revenge of the Sith. One version of the story goes that Oldman didn’t want to violate his standing with the Screen Actors Guild, which prohibited him from working on non-union films.
Matthew Wood, who ended up voicing General Grievous in the film, insists that Oldman was never up for the role but simply auditioned as a favor to the producers.
Next: 3. Terrance Stamp Stomped Out On George Lucas
3. Terence Stamp Hates George Lucas
Part of what makes The Phantom Menace cool is that it drew in some big name actors in roles that helped legitimize Star Wars even further. While the original films didn’t draw in any big actors outside of Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing and a few others, The Phantom Menace had stars like Liam Neeson and Samuel L. Jackson.
Another big name to appear was Terence Stamp. The Superman II actor was cast in the role of Chancellor Valorum who was eventually run out of office to make way for Palpatine to take over. But that wasn’t the only drama, as Stamp apparently had great disdain for George Lucas.
In an interview looking back on the film, Stamp noted that he didn’t think George Lucas was a good director and really only took the part A) against his will and B) to meet a young and upcoming Natalie Portman.
He was rumored to have been offered a part in Attack of the Clones that he turned down so he wouldn’t have to work with Lucas again.
Next: 2. Tupac Wanted To Be In The Phantom Menace
2. Tupac Auditioned For Mace Windu in The Phantom Menace
Mace Windu is a fan favorite among Star Wars fans, thanks in large part to the fact that he was played by Samuel L. Jackson. But there was another actor who almost landed the role, and it would have brought the ultimate street cred to the Star Wars galaxy.
Rapper Tupac was interested in playing the role of Mace Windu in 1999’s The Phantom Menace and even went as far as to audition for the role. Tupac bragged to his producing partner that he had “three movies” in the works in 1996 and one of them was for George Lucas.
Production on The Phantom Menace started in June 1997, which was less than a year after Tupac was killed in a drive by shooting in Las Vegas. Even if he had lived, Tupac wouldn’t have gotten the role, as he was passed over for Samuel L. Jackson. However, having Tupac in The Phantom Menace would have instantly made the film ten times better than it ended up being.
Next: 1. Luke Turned Into The Next Darth Vader
1. Original Return Of The Jedi Ending Had Luke Turning To The Dark Side
This is a bit of a controversial one, as many Star Wars fans refuse to accept the idea that Luke Skywalker almost turned to the dark side at the end of Return of the Jedi. That was the original plan though, as screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas came up with the idea that at the end of the film Luke removes Vader’s mask and, instead of rescuing his father’s soul, assumes his role as the biggest badass in the galaxy.
It’s worth mentioning that it was George Lucas who eventually rejected this idea in favor of the ending we saw.
But Kasdan is the screenwriter on The Force Awakens, and rumors that Luke has turned to the dark side at some point between Episode VI and Episode VII could be rooted in this rejected ROTJ ending from 1983.