[Darth Player]

George Lucas originally intended have Peter Cushing reprise his role as Tarkin, years after his death, through the use of stock footage and digital technology. However, the idea was scrapped when the footage of Cushing was deemed unusable.


Some lines in the script by Palpatine during the lightsaber fight between Anakin and Count Dooku were eventually cut. One line included Palpatine talking about Dooku having ordered the Sandpeople to kidnap and torture Anakin's mother.


In the battle duel scene with Count Dooku, the imprisoned Palpatine originally had more dialog which he was to shout at Anakin. One of his lines pertained to Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) in which Palpatine exposed Dooku as paying the Tusken Raiders to kidnap, torture and kill Shmi Skywalker.


Liam Neeson has said that he recorded a cameo as Qui-Gonn Jinn, which was to feature in a scene with Yoda, further explaining the concept of a Jedi communicating from beyond the grave. In the script, the dialog (in which Qui-Gonn is heard, not seen) appeared in the scene in which Yoda is meditating on the secret asteroid base just before Bail Organa informs him of Obi-Wan's return with Padme. The scene does not appear in the deleted scenes section of the DVD, nor does it appear in any known release of the film.



The original cut of the film ran nearly four hours. The opening battle/Palpatine rescue alone ran over an hour.



When Obi-Wan finds General Grievous on Utupau, his first words are, "Hello, there." In Star Wars (1977), when Obi-Wan is first introduced, his words to R2-D2 are, "Hello, there."



Director Cameo: [George Lucas] The sound of General Grievous' coughing is George Lucas's own coughing. After developing a bad cough during production, Lucas had it recorded and used as Grievous' own cough.


Originally, a young Han Solo was going to make an appearance in the film, living among the Wookies on Kashyyyk.


The battle with Wookiees dates back to the earliest screenplays of Star Wars (1977). Originally, the Wookiees were supposed to help the Rebels conquer an Imperial bunker. This idea was the basis for the Battle of Endor in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), but instead of using Wookiees, George Lucas decided to use a smaller furry race and call them Ewoks.


The planet name "Utapau" appears in the early drafts of two previous Star Wars films. In Lucas's first draft of the very first movie, Utapau was the home planet of Kane, Anakin and Deak Starkiller. The planet's desert terrain eventually became the planet Tatooine. Utapau was also the original name for Naboo in the first draft of the screenplay for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).




One of the early concepts for General Grievous was a small child sitting on a floating chair, guarded by two IG88 droids from Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980). George Lucas rejected this look as a child would not be taken seriously as the deadliest hand to hand fighter the galaxy has seen, which is how he wanted Grievous to be portrayed. Instead, part of the final look for General Grievous' face was inspired by the shape of a bathroom detergent spray nozzle.


Francis Ford Coppola suggested Christopher Neil to George Lucas to be the dialog coach. Lucas said that given the emotional intensity of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005), and the fact that he rarely has time to converse with the actors, it would be ideal for someone else to be there to get the strongest performances possible.


During production the Mon Calamari opera was nicknamed "Squid Lake".


Deleted scenes that are included in the DVD include: Shaak-Ti's execution by General Grievous, followed by the subsequent escape of Obi-Wan and Anakin by swimming through a fuel tank they get to by cutting a hole in the floor with their light-sabers, and Yoda's arrival in Dagobah.

[KurganX]

George Lucas originally intended have Peter Cushing reprise his role as Tarkin, years after his death, through the use of stock footage and digital technology. However, the idea was scrapped when the footage of Cushing was deemed unusable.
Some lines in the script by Palpatine during the lightsaber fight between Anakin and Count Dooku were eventually cut. One line included Palpatine talking about Dooku having ordered the Sandpeople to kidnap and torture Anakin's mother.
In the battle duel scene with Count Dooku, the imprisoned Palpatine originally had more dialog which he was to shout at Anakin. One of his lines pertained to Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) in which Palpatine exposed Dooku as paying the Tusken Raiders to kidnap, torture and kill Shmi Skywalker.

That would have sucked. Of course a lot of fans speculated that this was true. Basically anything that happens to Anakin that was bad or lead him down the Dark Path must have been a deliberate action of Sideous (since he'd be the one to order Dooku to do stuff). I never actually heard this being an official part of an early script though. The novelisation certainly has this stuff cut and it was based on the screenplay. I'll do some looking though... in any case I'm glad they didn't use this!

Liam Neeson has said that he recorded a cameo as Qui-Gonn Jinn, which was to feature in a scene with Yoda, further explaining the concept of a Jedi communicating from beyond the grave. In the script, the dialog (in which Qui-Gonn is heard, not seen) appeared in the scene in which Yoda is meditating on the secret asteroid base just before Bail Organa informs him of Obi-Wan's return with Padme. The scene does not appear in the deleted scenes section of the DVD, nor does it appear in any known release of the film.

I thought this had been officially denied? No footage or recording exists of Liam Neeson doing this, even though they wanted to do it. Apparently he refused to be involved (or was "too busy") so they just didn't bother. The scene in question of him "communing" with Yoda was never filmed.

This is the main reason it wasn't made into a deleted scene.

The original cut of the film ran nearly four hours. The opening battle/Palpatine rescue alone ran over an hour.

I heard that too (the four hours bit). A know a lot of fans were demanding that ROTS be that long... as if making it that long would tie up ALL the loose ends and make it the greatest film ever (as if long alone was what made the LOTR movies great). Honestly though most big budget movies are cut down for length. They also create more material, including alternate takes and such that they can later cut down via choosing the best stuff and pasting it together into the movie we eventually get.

While I agree with the people who said that Lucas should have started the downfall of Anakin Skywalker a lot sooner (he seemed to try to cram it all into the last movie, with only about 5 minutes given to it in Episode II) than he did.. making a four hour ROTS wouldn't have fixed it. I imagine much of that four hours was boring retakes. Even if you toss in all the deleted scenes (which themselves contain recycling in many cases) the movie is nowhere near that long.

Interesting stuff. Too bad the classic trilogy trivia/goofs pages are a mess!

This post has been edited by KurganX: 02 December 2005 - 06:55 AM

[Darth Player]

Director Cameo: [George Lucas] The sound of General Grievous' coughing is George Lucas's own coughing. After developing a bad cough during production, Lucas had it recorded and used as Grievous' own cough.

Yet another reason to hate GG/GL.....

[Prequel dialogue coach]

the space battle needed to be longer.

[jariten]

Its interesting what IMDB picks out of the Making Of book to put on their web page. They fail to mention, for example, that the Han Solo thing was from the first draft of the script (the final version went through 4 further drafts before being finished). Thats IMDB for you!

As for Anakins turn, its an interesting topic. Maybe it deserves its own thread?

[Helena]

Some lines in the script by Palpatine during the lightsaber fight between Anakin and Count Dooku were eventually cut. One line included Palpatine talking about Dooku having ordered the Sandpeople to kidnap and torture Anakin's mother.

What the fuck? How the hell was he going to try and explain that one?

"Yes, Anakin, it was Dooku who paid the Sand People to kidnap and torture your mother. Heh, heh, heh."
"What?! But... but why would the leader of the Separatists pay people to kill some unimportant farmer's wife on an impoverished backwater planet?"
"Hmm? Oh, er... hang on, just give me a moment to think about this..."

Though of course, given how unutterably stupid Anakin is, it's quite possible that it wouldn't even occur to him to ask in the first place...

[KurganX]

Director Cameo: [George Lucas] The sound of General Grievous' coughing is George Lucas's own coughing. After developing a bad cough during production, Lucas had it recorded and used as Grievous' own cough.

Yet another reason to hate GG/GL.....

Because of the fact that he coughs?

[Otal Nimrodi]

Director Cameo: [George Lucas] The sound of General Grievous' coughing is George Lucas's own coughing. After developing a bad cough during production, Lucas had it recorded and used as Grievous' own cough.

Yet another reason to hate GG/GL.....

Listen, I will be willing to hate GL for a lot of things, but that won't be one of them. Frankly, if you hated every movie with a directors cameo, you'd be hating virtually every movie ever made. Anyway, whom would you rather use? Computer generated coughing? A hired voice actor?

[Paladin]

What the fuck? How the hell was he going to try and explain that one?

"Yes, Anakin, it was Dooku who paid the Sand People to kidnap and torture your mother. Heh, heh, heh."
"What?! But... but why would the leader of the Separatists pay people to kill some unimportant farmer's wife on an impoverished backwater planet?"
"Hmm? Oh, er... hang on, just give me a moment to think about this..."

Though of course, given how unutterably stupid Anakin is, it's quite possible that it wouldn't even occur to him to ask in the first place...

I fully agree with you there, Helena, down to the letter.

Not only is it illogical that they would want to kill Anakin's mother, but I would wonder just how they managed to figure out who or where his mother was (and there comes the reason why), or what was the reason to make Anakin more vexed? It would acomplish nothing at all! He would still have killed Dooku in ROTS whether or not he had been behind his mother's murder in the first place.

Is this supposed to be done in order to make Anakin's fall to the Darkside more easy? That somehow the memory of losing his mother to a bunch of savages (as everyone seems to call the Sand People) make him angrier or have a bigger lust for power? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Anakin went on a tirade against Obi-Wan for 'holding him back' at Couriscant (misspelt) and expressed his desire to move on with his career and become more power. Basically he did the same thing in a more petulant and child-like manner later on in the movie, but this does not change the fact that his mother's death did NOTHING to him at all! Not in the long run or in the short run. He may have said to Padme that he didn't want to lose her like he lost his mother, but even this whole luducrious reason for falling into the Darkside could have been done if his mother was alive and well or died through more peaceful means.

And guys, while I don't like George Lucas for his ridicules directing and non-existant creative thought, I don't believe that bashing him just for using his own cough in the movie is really a valid reason for criticism. I've had coughing fits far more severe and prolonged than General Grevious in the movie and do you people think that's a reason to dislike me?

[Revan-47]

I heard that lucas was going to have a cameo in the opera scene? any idea where he is?

[Paladin]

He's there in the Opera seen. When Anakin is running through the crowds and is about to enter the place where Palpatine is, you can see George talking with another individual on the far left of the scene (and screen) if I'm not mistaken.

His cameo character is 'Baron Papanoia' or Papanoida or something along those lines. His so called 'costume' makes him stand out. It's just George with his face painted blue and wearing a fancy outfit and holding a cane! Thankfully, the scene is brief and he doesn't do anything to attract your attention.

[jariten]

I fully agree with you there, Helena, down to the letter.

Not only is it illogical that they would want to kill Anakin's mother, but I would wonder just how they managed to figure out who or where his mother was (and there comes the reason why), or what was the reason to make Anakin more vexed? It would acomplish nothing at all! He would still have killed Dooku in ROTS whether or not he had been behind his mother's murder in the first place.

Is this supposed to be done in order to make Anakin's fall to the Darkside more easy? That somehow the memory of losing his mother to a bunch of savages (as everyone seems to call the Sand People) make him angrier or have a bigger lust for power? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Anakin went on a tirade against Obi-Wan for 'holding him back' at Couriscant (misspelt) and expressed his desire to move on with his career and become more power. Basically he did the same thing in a more petulant and child-like manner later on in the movie, but this does not change the fact that his mother's death did NOTHING to him at all! Not in the long run or in the short run. He may have said to Padme that he didn't want to lose her like he lost his mother, but even this whole luducrious reason for falling into the Darkside could have been done if his mother was alive and well or died through more peaceful means.

The only reason Anakin believed that the dreams he was having in Ep3 were going to come true were because the dreams he had of his mother in Ep2 came true.

Thats putting it simply, but thats exactly what happens. Thats why i'm against this "Anakins turn was rushed!" argument. If you just watch RotS, then yes of course it feels rushed. In the context of TPM and AotC though, it makes perfect sense. Its love, and being unable to cope with the loss of that loved one, that does Anakin in.

[Paladin]

And that's exactly why it's so ridicules. All those years before TPM I had assumed that it was a lust for power, impatiance in trying to get it, and overall dissatisfaction with how things were run that caused him to do what he did. I always assumed that he would seek out the help of Palpatine in order to get the power he wanted and needed... but he KNEW the threat posed by dabbling in the dark side, but he thought he would be able to resist it, and underestimated Palpatine's abilities and as such, fell prey to him and lost the goodness within him to his hatred and anger.

Remember the scene in ROTJ, when Yoda is dying in his bed and warns Luke "Do not underestimate the powers of the Emperor, or suffer your father's fate, you will." This line alone gave me much of the idea as to how Anakin would have turned into the dark side.

Sadly, however, this was not how it turns out. Anakin was a brainless fool who was extremely easy to decieve and manipulate, and even his motives for turning to the dark side are totally questionable and unclear. His so called 'lust for power' is not driven by any sense that any adult would think of, but out of pure childishness not unlike being stuck in a sports team full of kids with an asshole of a coach. There was no desire to change the system to make it better, but his ideas that he presented in a half-serious manner in AOTC could be taken that either he was joking or he was an idiot or, more likely, both.

There is more that needs to be written about this manner, but personally I'm trying to give up criticisming Star Wars, but old habits die hard and I have to at least give a half effort to stop. Sorry if this seems too short.

[barend]

What the fuck? How the hell was he going to try and explain that one?

"Yes, Anakin, it was Dooku who paid the Sand People to kidnap and torture your mother. Heh, heh, heh."
"What?! But... but why would the leader of the Separatists pay people to kill some unimportant farmer's wife on an impoverished backwater planet?"
"Hmm? Oh, er... hang on, just give me a moment to think about this..."

Though of course, given how unutterably stupid Anakin is, it's quite possible that it wouldn't even occur to him to ask in the first place...

i agree most with the last statement, and so i think it would have gone like this:

Palpatine: "Yes... good anikan. Now kill him."
Anikan: "What? I shouldn't... It's not the Jedi way."
Palpatine: "Oh go on... he ordered the sandpeople to kill your mother. Are you gonna let that one go?"
Anikan: "HE WHAT?!? That's it! I... wait, how do YOU know that?"
Palpatine: "I saw him do it with my own eyes."
Anikan: "Oh, fair enough... but wait a minute.... why would he do that?"
Palpatine: "To make you angry of course! and to get you back for that fight on geonosis."
Anikan: "Oh right... and i lost my arm in that fight!!! but wait a minutte... That fight was AFTER she was killed..."
Palpatine: "That's what make's it so sneaky and underhanded!"
Anikan: "Hey YEah... but wait... What do you mean you saw him do it with your own eyes?"
Dooku: *sighs board, and leans forward to decapitate himself*
Palpatine: "Good Work Anikan. You killed him."
Anikan: Huh? Oh... I shouldn't have done that.

it's a bit lengthy... i can see why they cut it.

[Revan-47]

Thats fucking hilarious!!!!