May the 4th be with you! George Lucas originally planned for Yoda to be played by a monkey wearing a mask and carrying a cane.
Star Wars
A 4-month-old Cinnamon bear…
A 4-month-old Cinnamon bear provided much of the voice of Chewbacca. Other Chewbacca noises were voiced by three other bears, a badger, a lion, a seal, and a walrus from Long Beach.
In 1975 Al Pacino was offered the role…
In 1975 Al Pacino was offered the role of Han Solo in the film Star Wars, but he refused the role because “The script was too confusing”.
The iconic font for “Star Wars” was derived from…
The iconic font for “Star Wars” was derived from Helvetica Black because designer Suzy Rice thought that it was the most Fascist typeface she could think of.
UK prop designer Andrew Ainsworth…
UK prop designer Andrew Ainsworth, made the original Stormtrooper helmets, was sued by Lucasfilm for $20m for making and selling replicas, argued he did not hold the intellectual property rights, a point upheld by a US court. After spending £700,000 defending himself, Ainsworth won.
Princess Leia’s iconic double-bun hairstyle…
Princess Leia’s iconic double-bun hairstyle was inspired by ‘soldaderas’ – Mexican revolutionary rebel fighters from the turn of the 20th century.
In 1977, 20th Century Fox had so little faith…
In 1977, 20th Century Fox had so little faith in the “Star Wars” franchise that they gave away all of the movie licensing and merchandising rights to George Lucas in exchange for his $500,000 directorial fee. In 2014, the overall value of the franchise was estimated at $37 billion.
Ukraine has an Internet Party. The party let Darth Vader
Ukraine has an Internet Party. In 2014, the party let Darth Vader along other Star Wars characters such as Chewbacca, Padmé Amidala, and Yoda run for seats in the Ukrainian parliament.
Colin McGregor, brother of Star Wars actor…
Colin McGregor, brother of Star Wars actor Ewan McGregor, is a British RAF pilot and goes by the call-sign “Obi Two”.
George Lucas built his $4 Billion ‘Star Wars’ empire by accepting…
George Lucas built his $4 Billion ‘Star Wars’ empire by accepting a salary of $125K instead of $1M in the first Star Wars movie, but keeping the right to direct sequels and licensing (sell toys, posters, T-shirt, etc.)