If you love the original sci-fi trilogy and even the newer installations, you have to learn the seven nerdy facts about Star Wars. While diehard fans are aware of these facts, others who may not know will become intrigued. This saga of movies has become timeless classics and loved by many. To better understand the behind the scenes workings of Lucas Films, let's learn the seven nerdy facts about Star Wars.
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1. Yoda—the Monkey?
Among the nerdy things about Star Wars, let's start with Jedi Master, Yoda. Did you know that Yoda was almost a monkey wearing a mask and walking with a cane? Yes, it's true. While his exact species was never identified throughout the films, he wasn't a monkey. He also wasn't a Muppet, although Frank Oz, the sought after puppeteer, did provide him with his voice. Lucas insisted on creating an entire creature for Yoda. Also, another tidbit, if you watch all movies in this saga, you'll notice that Yoda doesn't have the same number of toes throughout each film. What happens to them?
2. The Alternate Ending
If you prefer the dark side, you'll love to know that the ending of Return of the Jedi wasn't the first choice. Instead of the happy ending where Vader dies and everyone attends the Ewok party, the alternate shows Luke removing Vader's mask only to place it onto his own face. The last line of the movie was almost Luke stating, “Now, I am Vader.”
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3. Qui-Gon is Silky Smooth
A funny fact about Qui-Gon Jinn is that his voice communicator was actually created from a mold of the Gillette Ladies Sensor Excell razor. So, Qui-Gon could have spoken to the other Jedi and taken care of that scruffy beard all at the same time. Additionally, the studio had to reconstruct portions of the set to accommodate Qui-Gon actor, Liam Neisen, as he stands 6'4”. This cost the studio $150,000. A lesson for future films is, perhaps, to take measurements first.
4. Ewok Who?
Never once in the entire saga is the word Ewok stated. If it weren't for the credits and exterior sources, we may have never known what these characters were, exactly. Luckily, there was a TV-movie made later called "Ewoks: The Battle for Endor" that shed some light on the subject. The language chosen for these furry creatures is a mixture of Tibetan and Nepalese.
5. Surprising Cameos
John Ratzenberger, who is known for his roles on Cheers and Toy Story, made a cameo on the Empire Strikes Back. He wasn't the only one. If you watch closely in Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, you will see E.T. He's there in the Senate chamber, right before Amadala requests a vote. Furthermore, Lucas' daughter made a special request for Attack of the Clones. If not for its departure onto the cutting room floor, the all-boy band, N'Sync would have made their way into the film. Thank you, George Lucas for that removal.
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6. Solo, No-Go
According to the original screenplay for the saga, Han Solo was supposed to die. The manuscript written by Gary Kurtz showcased the death of Solo with a grief-striken rebel alliance and young Skywalker escaping into the wilderness. Lucas changed his mind, thankfully, as he predicted a reduction of action figure sales in the event of the demise of this key character. Furthermore, while I'm on the subject of Han, Burt Reynolds was among the actors vying for the role. Others were Jack Nicholson and Christopher Walken.
7. Odd Noises
If you have always wondered where they acquired the sound effects for light sabers, here's your answer. The sound came from the buzz of film projectors and the humming of old television sets. Speaking of odd noises, the combination that created Chewy's voice is a mix of dying animals. I'm not kidding. Among them were bears, lions, and walruses.
If you love Star Wars as much as I do, you'll be happy to learn these facts. You will also love the digitally remastered BluRay movies of each film as they are released. What are some nerdy facts that you know about the Star Wars saga?
