Incredible movie trivia for Star Wars Day
Star Wars is a film franchise that needs no introduction.
From the release of the original film in 1977, Star Wars has been a global pop culture phenomenon.
It’s one of the top grossing film franchises of all time, growing to include another seven films – with another four in production.
In honour of ‘Star Wars Day’, today we’re sharing some weird and wonderful film trivia from a galaxy far, far away.
May the fourth be with you!
It took four actors to play Darth Vader
Yes, really! Darth Vader was such a large on-screen presence it took four actors to portray him. The on-screen body was played by David Prowse – a six-foot-five bodybuilder. His stunt double was played by a professional fencer, his voice is played by James Earl Jones, and the face of Vader in Return of The Jedi is played by Sebastian Shaw.
George Lucas kept the secret with a fake script
George Lucas closely guarded the twist ending in The Empire Strikes Back when Darth Vader reveals he is Luke Skywalker’s father. To keep it under wraps, Lucas wrote fake text into the script, so even the cast and crew were kept in the dark. Only Mark Hammill – the actor who plays Luke – was told, moment before filming the scene.
Steven Spielberg wins a bet worth millions
In the late 70s, George Lucas visited Stephen Spielberg on set of his latest film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Convinced Spielberg’s film would be more successful than his Star Wars franchise, George Lucas bet 2.5% of the film’s profits, a gamble Spielberg took, believing Star Wars would be more successful in the end. When both films were released, Star Wars came up trumps – earning a whopping $775 million at the global box office. It’s a bet that made Steven Spielberg millions.
Han Solo started with a different look
Harrison Ford’s rugged, handsome charm was perfect for Han Solo, originally George Lucas intended him to look much different. Han Solo was originally conceived as a green alien with gills for a nose. He was also imagined as a fat pirate with a beard, before eventually evolving to the waistcoat-wearing character we know and love today.
R2D2’s name was an inspired mistake
George Lucas came up with the name for R2D2 by mistake. While on set for his film American Graffiti, the film’s sound editor asked for “Reel 2, Dialog Track 2” in its abbreviated form – R2D2. Lucas, who was dozing at the time, woke up and said it was a great name, inserting it into Star Wars.
Are you a fan of Star Wars? Share your favourite memories from watching the films in the comments below!
Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor
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