[ScruU2wice]

someone posted this on another board

There was no master plan for 6, 9 or even 3 movies back in the 70s. He wrote a screenplay, and the characters had some back-story. Any competent writer (and even some incompetent ones) give their characters back-story. Who are they, where did they come from, etc. That doesn't mean he had the idea for anymore than one movie.

They wanted Star Wars to seem like an old movie serial, so they made it seem like a chapter from a bigger story. Putting a "IV" at the beginning was pretty arbitrary.

In 1975 by Lucas' representatives contacted Alan Dean Foster to do the novelization of the first Star Wars film, plus an original sequel "Splinter of the Mind's Eye". There were no plans for a movie sequel at this point, and there wouldn't have been one without the box-office and merchandising success of the original film.

The entire storyline of the series is made up as it went along.

Alec Guinness' Obi-Wan was originally going to survive Episode IV. Check the pre-production sketch of the medal sequence. Why kill him off? No guarantee you'll get the good actor's to sign on for another movie (assuming you ever get to make one!)

Darth Vader wasn't Luke's dad until the end of filming Empire... or maybe Jedi. A script for Return of the Jedi was written in which Vader was not Luke's father—he was revealed as having lied in Empire Strikes Back. Lucas even claims that he allowed his collaborator, Leigh Bracket, to work on Empire Strikes Back without telling her the twist ending he had in mind…which is a fascinating definition of 'collaboration'.

Why was Luke attacked by an ice monster in Empire? Serious car crash messed up his face after the first movie. They needed to explain why the actor looked like a different guy.

Yoda didn't show up until a script writer's conference in 1980. Handy replacement for the killed off Ben.

Why did Yoda say Luke wasn't their last hope? Why was there "another"? Mark Hammill wanted more money (or something) and said he might not do anymore Star Wars films. If they couldn't work out a deal with him, they needed an out. Who was "the other"? Maybe it was Harrison Ford or Billy Dee Williams -- it didn't matter, it was a backup. It let Mark Hammill know he shouldn't get too demanding.

Leia certainly wasn't Luke's sister until filming Jedi. Why else would he have so much incestous love/kissing in the first 2 movies? Han Shooting first wasn't part of the original vision... but that WAS? Yeah. He needed another "Vader says something to make Luke angry" line, and that's what he picked. Keep in mind the voice actor (James Earl Jones) isn't doing his lines while David Prowse and Mark Hamill were doing their scenes. Hey, that means Leia could be "the other". Sweet!

Anyone who's made a movie and is married knows this to be true -- if you're working on a script, chances are you're going to ask your husband/wife for their opinion. Maybe get their feedback on the dialogue you've written. George Lucas' wife was ALSO the editor for the first Star Wars!

For the next couple of movies he had help with the scripts from other folk. Not the new trilogy though. That's allllll George.

No help with script writing. No backstory for the characters. No humbleness to take suggestions from others. No worries about not having the money to do a sequel. No worries about whether you'll have your actors for the next film.