When we talk about pop culture, Star Wars is something we can’t afford to miss. This classic tale has changed how people saw Hollywood and took the industry towards the era of the blockbuster. This trilogy is was a miracle and the three parts: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi were made while facing a lot of hurdles.
The scenes behind the camera is another story in itself.
Frank Oz Taking Care Of Yoda
Do you know what inspired the look of Yoda? It was the person who designed Jedi master and added some wrinkles of Albert Einstein to his face. The set of Dagobah was not on the ground level; it was built five feet above it. This helped Frank Oz to take care of Yoda.
It might have created some communication difficulty but that is when practical effects were brought into revolutionary use.
The R2-D2 Costume
Even if you haven’t watched Star Wars, you know who is everyone’s favorite droid. Yes, the R2-D2, the very first characters to appear in A New Hope. The classic model was covering the late Kenny Baker under it.
However, the other models were controlled through a remote. Nobody can forget this iconic character. The reason behind this is Ben Burtt’s sound effects that he created using an ARP 2600 analog synthesizer.
The Tauntaun Ride
There are some unique creatures on this earth and we are still not aware of all of them. However, Star Wars has introduced some unique creatures to us and Tauntaun is one of them. He first appeared in The Empire Strikes Back. Lucasfilm is the brain behind this creature and it worked on the basis of stop motion animation and puppetry.
Alec’s 62nd Birthday
There were numerous problems surrounding the movie and there were just a few people who believed that the movie would be a success. Sir Alec Guinness was one of those few people. This picture was clicked while Mark Hamill and Alec celebrated Alec’s 62nd birthday on set.
Alec is the only actor who was nominated for the Academy Awards for the movie Star Wars.
Darth Vader
There were numerous actors who have played the role of Darth Vader. Jake Loyd and Hayden Christensen have played the character of Anakin Skywalker in the prequels. However, when we talk about the original trilogy, David Prowse and Sebastian Shaw were the actual men behind the mask.
The voice of the character was given by Lucas because he believed that Prowse’s high pitched voice wouldn’t suit the demeanor of Vader.
Drink It All
Do you remember who spoke the very first line of the Star Wars Saga? It was uttered by C-3PO. Anthony Daniel was the person who played that character and is the only actor who appeared in all three parts of the movie. Others came and went away but he stuck to the movie for the three parts.
The costume for the film was tried a day before the first day of the shoot. He faced difficulty in doing things and we can see one of those struggles in this particular image.
Chewbacca Unmasked
George Lucas created the character Chewbacca and his inspiration was his own dog. He saw his dog sitting straight up on the passenger seat and knew that he would need a tall actor to play this role. Hence, Peter Mayhew got the part.
The original costume was made out of mohair and yak hair.
Hanging Out
The iconic role of Miss Piggy was famous among the Muppets of the movie. Hence, it wasn’t a surprise when most of them were on the sets of The Empire Strikes Back. As he worked on the Dagobah set, he got to spend some time with Yoda, Miss Piggy, and Kermit - the frog.
Mark Hamill then went ahead to become one of the most renowned voice actors.
Stormtroopers
Darth Vader is joined by Stormtroopers when we talk about an iconic cast. They have an intimidating aura even though they are not able to aim properly.
This group was given a super cool look which was meant to be terrifying. Their helmets resembled the skulls and that element was the sole reason you can call them terrifying. There have been other troops in the movies but Stormtroopers will be the most memorable ones.
The Three Leads With Lucas
Star wars is full of cool elements and maybe it would have never been taken off. The original trio – Han, Luke, and Leia are the heroes we will remember until the end of the time.
From day one, George Lucas wanted their chemistry to be on point, as he knew that is the most important element of A New Hope. 40 years later, they are still the icons we adore.
The Role Of The Ewoks
When we mention the word divisive, there is just one character that comes to our mind and that is Ewoks. The mysterious resemblance of this character with the teddy bears makes them uncanny. They appeared in Return of the Jedi because Lucas wanted an ancient tribe to take down the Empire.
The initial plan was to be assisted by a race of Wookies but it would have been expensive.
Constructing Models
The development of Industrial Light & Magic depicts that Lucas was thinking way beyond Star Wars. Back in 1975, Lucas was able to bring a revolution in the industry through visual effects. ILM had a major part to play in creating both practical and digital effects.
Before CGI came into play, Lucas made sure he got all the space stations and vehicles made with small models.
Construction Of Jawa Set
The cute but uncanny Jawas are one of the first groups of strange characters to be shown in the movie. They are responsible for taking R2-D2 and C-3PO. Like the structures of the original trilogy, the transporter of Jawas was also a mini structure. The bottom was the only part that was full size.
The funny part is that Kenny Baker’s comic partner, Jack Purvis played the role of Chief Jawa.
Ian Mcdiarmid: The Emperor
Star Wars would be incomplete without the Emperor Palpatine. Ian McDiarmid was the dark lord of the Sith in Return of the Jedi. He was in his late 30s when he was playing the Emperor and we have to say that makeup artists have done a great job in transforming 30ish McDiarmid into an ancient-looking man.
The makeup and the prosthetics took four hours of their day and we are sure that the Dark side has never looked this dreadful.
Jabba: The Hut
Everyone wanted to see the living version of Jabba hut ever since the movie Star Wars: A New Hope was out. The makers were sure of what they had in mind and that is the reason they brought the gangster back to the big screen in The Return of the Jedi.
Three people had to operate the puppet; one of them controlled the head and the other two were in charge of the arms.
The Kiss
Carrie Fisher had a persona that didn’t dull for a minute. He stood out and it was difficult for her co-stars to match up to her aura. There were the least issues with the main cast of the film. Even after the movie was over, the cast was together like a family.
This image is the true picture of how the cast had all the fun on the set in between the takes.
The “I Am Your Father” Scene
When we talk about Star Wars, there is one scene that is game-changing for the whole saga. The twist of The Empire Strikes Back is the most important scene in the complete franchise. This scene changed the whole idea of Star Wars and left the viewers on a hanger.
The secret was hidden from the complete cast and crew and this detail was shared with just Mark Hamill before the scene was about to be shot.
George And Anthony In Tunisia
Viewers were first introduced to Luke Skywalker on Tatooine – a desert plane. These scenes were created in Tunisia with a number of problems around them. There was a rainstorm, which is highly rare in the area. The crew filmed everything they needed within two and a half weeks and the scenes were of the utmost importance to the show.
The Falcon Cockpit
The Millennium Falcon Cockpit is definitely the most iconic spaceship in sci-fi fantasy history. It was a character on its own and its presence had an impact better than any living character. The show makers wanted the characters to embark their journey on a flying saucer and they tried to make this flying saucer unique by adding a cockpit to it.
Mark Hamill And Carrie Fisher
We know the heart of the movie resided in these two people. Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher had a dynamic in their equation. When Princess Leia was declared as Luke’s sister, people saw the whole star wars all over again and it was in a different light this time.
