The Secrets George Lucas Kept From Leigh Brackett (episode 30 of the podcast)

Phil and Colin dig into "Star Wars Sequel", the unfilmed 1978 script by science fiction legend Leigh Brackett which became Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. We look at what made it into the finished film and what got junked, and consider whether Star Wars creator George Lucas was keeping his screenwriter in the dark!

If you've never read Brackett's script, you can find two versions of it online. There's a PDF scan of the original typescript, which shows all of her hand-corrections and notes - fascinating for its details, if you can make them out. Or there's this transcript, which is a lot easier to read but loses some of the fun.

For a fascinating, in-depth discussion of how "Star Wars Sequel" developed into The Empire Strikes Back, sit back and watch this interview with screenwriter Larry Kasdan, who wrote the final draft of the film's script.

Other things discussed in this episode:

• The New York Times urges you to read old magazines (just as we do on our podcast!)
• Science fiction radio, courtesy of Re-Imagined Radio
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns for season 2
• Battle for the Planet of the Apes is now fifty years old (making Phil feel even older)
• Have hours of fun with the R2D2 Vocalizer app
• Teaser trailer for Pixar's 2024 movie Elio
• Trailer for the new Babylon 5 animated movie
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We hope you enjoy the new episode. Please post comments!

 

 

 

 

 

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