If the Star Wars franchise is considered one of the greatest film series of all time in Hollywood, the credit goes to its creative mastermind George Lucas. The visionary director pioneered a sci-fi revolution with the epic space saga that spanned multiple decades to become a cult classic that will continue to remain evergreen for years to come.
While the franchise has seen many unforgettable films, there have been some prequels and sequels that have been preferred over others. But one particular film in the series which was specifically made for the holidays, was considered by Lucas himself as the franchise’s worst effort and one that he would want to erase from everyone’s memory including his own.
This Star Wars Spin-Off Had George Lucas Running For Cover
George Lucas has succeeded in carving a historic legacy in Hollywood with his pioneering Star Wars franchise that is still considered one of the greatest film series of all time. Its unique feature was the fact that it continued to stay relevant over many decades and is still giving rise to original narratives.
While audiences have had their favorites among the many prequels and sequels, Lucas has ensured that the quality of all the films over the years has never been compromised until a spin-off film was made in 1978.
The Star Wars Holiday Special was a television film directed by Steve Binder that aired on CBS in November 1978. The story is set between the events of the original film and its sequel, The Empire Strikes Back, which had not yet been released at the time, and saw the main characters of the first film reprising their roles.
In a surprising departure from its usual quality, this television special followed the very superficial and diluted narrative of an adventure involving two beloved characters – Chewbacca and Hans Solo. It also involved a lot of musical moments that many Star Wars buffs considered to be extremely cringeworthy.
The film also gave Lucas sleepless nights with the iconic producer himself confessing that he would love to forget this anomaly that felt like a blow to his reputation. In an interview with Chicago Sun Times, he minced no words in expressing his feelings about the movie.
“If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every copy of that show and smash it.”
Interestingly, this film, which was considered to be a dent to the franchise and to Lucas’ pedigree, surprisingly went on to gain support after its initial release on television and actually ended up attaining cult status.
Star Wars Alternate Ending Did Not Find Favor With George Lucas
George Lucas’ epic Star Wars franchise took the world by storm for its creator’s genius in visualizing an unforgettable sci-fi fantasy world. It goes without saying that the director would have considered each and every aspect of the film like it was his baby and therefore demanded his vision to be manifested perfectly.
This included the famous climax involving the dramatic lightsaber face-off between Hayden Christensen’s Darth Vader and Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi on the volcanic planet of Mustafar in Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith.
In the duel, both characters are engaged in an intense tussle before Obi-Wan Kenobi uses a devastating move to severe Darth Vader’s legs and left arm before leaving him for dead near a lava flow. Interestingly, this scene had an alternative ending that did not make the final cut despite both stars fighting for it to be used.
Prolific stunt coordinator Nick Gillard who was responsible for all the action sequences, revealed that George Lucas remained undeterred by McGregor’s and Christensen’s insistence on using the ending which would have reflected an accidental defeat of Darth Vader rather than the premeditated one that was depicted. Speaking to SFF Gazette, Gillard elaborated on this alternative culmination.
“Anakin just grabbed [Obi-Wan] by the throat… He’s got him and Obi’s saber is down on the ground, and Anakin says, ‘I’m sorry it has to be this way, my master,’ and actually lets [the lightsaber] go.”
This ending, in retrospect, could have been a poetic finish to the master-student relationship. It could have also changed the way Princess Leia viewed Anakin Skywalker by possibly understanding that there was still a good side to Darth Vader as opposed to the evil persona that he became in the film.
As it turned out, it was finally Lucas’ decision to go with his original vision, which ultimately panned out brilliantly and turned out to be one of the most memorable scenes in any Star Wars film.
