‘Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi’: Things You May Not Know

Yes, the final film in the original “Star Wars” trilogy almost had a completely different title: “Revenge of the Jedi,” which sounds much more ominous. Watch the original teaser here.

In the “Empire of Dreams” documentary, it’s discussed that creator George Lucas initially wanted to use the “Return” title but co-writer Lawrence Kasdan thought it was too weak — which is why they toyed with “Revenge.”

It’s easy to see why Lucas nearly went with “Revenge” following the devastating cliffhanger of the previous film, “The Empire Strikes Back.” Posters and merchandise were even produced with the “Revenge” title, but Lucas realized that a Jedi wouldn’t actively seek revenge, so the title would contradict what Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) was becoming.

While George Lucas directed 1977’s “A New Hope,” he didn’t sit in the director’s chair for “The Empire Strikes Back” or “Return of the Jedi.” And when it came to the end of the trilogy, there were some surprising names on the candidate list before Richard Marquand took the reins. 

“Jurassic Park” director Steven Spielberg, “Twin Peaks” creator, David Lynch, and horror maestro David Cronenberg were all in the running.

Lucas originally offered Steven Spielberg the job, but because Lucas had left the Director’s Guild of America over moving the “Empire Strikes Back” director’s credit to the end of the film (via Variety), the “Jaws” director wasn’t allowed to take the job.

The creator also met with Lynch about the sequel, but he recalled to the Hudson Union Society that he had “next door to zero interest” in the movie. He even recounted getting a migraine after Lucas talked to him about Wookiees and other “Star Wars” aliens.

Cronenberg was also asked if he would be interested in directing the sequel, but unfortunately “The Fly” director told Entertainment Weekly that he responded to a phone call with “youthful” arrogance.

“‘Well, I’m not used to doing other people’s material,'” Cronenberg recalled saying. “And there was like a stunned silence and then ‘Click’ — hang up. Basically, that was as close as I came to that.”

At the start of the film, Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) breaks into Jabba’s Palace to free Han Solo (Harrison Ford) from his carbonite prison. Before she’s forced into that iconic golden bikini, she masquerades as a male bounty hunter called Boushh, and the voice that comes out of Boushh’s helmet is none other than of Pat Welsh.

Welsh only has two other acting credits to her name, an uncredited appearance in 1940’s “Waterloo Bridge,” and as E.T. in Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”

So yes, E.T. voiced Princess Leia in a very backward kind of way.

While practical effects master Phil Tippett and his team can be credited with bringing the horrific rancor to life in “Return of the Jedi,” thanks to stop-motion effects and a puppet, George Lucas originally wanted to use a performer in a costume to bring the monster to life. 

In an interview posted on the “Star Wars” YouTube channel, Industrial, Light & Magic effects artist Dennis Muren explained how Tippett came up with a costume that could be operated by multiple people — with footage showing off what the suit looked like lumbering around on set. 

Muren noted that “it didn’t move right, it’s got all the problems with big suit things that have to react to gravity and just tip-offs. They’re like big muppets.” So that’s why the team went with a puppet for the rancor.

The “Star Wars” fandom rightfully has a lot of love for the late Princess Leia actor, Carrie Fisher, as her character became a pop culture icon as a result of the original trilogy of movies.

But according to Warwick Davis, she was also incredibly kind when he worked with her on the film.

The 53-year-old actor was only 11 when he played Wicket the Ewok in “Return of the Jedi,” but he has fond memories of Fisher during filming.

Speaking to the Metro in 2019, he recalled: “She was such a lovely lady, it’s so sad she’s no longer with us. I enjoyed working with her and she was so lovely to me when I was in my Ewok costume.”

“She was very worried about me getting too hot. And every time I took the character’s head off, so I could get some air, she would be there with some chocolate milk and a cookie to kind of revive me,” Davis added.

In both “A New Hope” and “The Empire Strikes Back,” Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) wields his father’s old blue lightsaber, but when Luke shows up as a full-fledged Force-user in “Return of the Jedi, he wields a green saber.

It’s obviously a sign that he’s grown stronger with his abilities and as a Jedi, but in the original teaser trailer for the film, Luke was using a blue blade instead of green.

The official “Star Wars” YouTube channel points out in the description of the video that this was to create a “more visual pop against the blue sky background” in the opening sequence on Jabba’s barge.

A deleted scene that didn’t make it into the theatrical cut also shows Luke tinkering with his weapon to give it a green blade.

Aside from the Darth Vader reveal in “The Empire Strikes Back,” the second familial plot twist in the original trilogy is obviously the moment when Luke discovers that Leia is his twin sister. But this wasn’t always the plan.

Originally, Luke’s secret twin sister was going to be revealed in “The Empire Strikes Back,” as an early draft of the sequel by writer Leigh Brackett shows the ghost of Anakin Skywalker telling Luke that he has a sister called Nellith, who is hidden somewhere in the galaxy.

Yes, this is technically a fact about “The Empire Strikes Back,” but if Brackett’s script had made it to screen, we would’ve never had the now-iconic Leia reveal in “Return of the Jedi.”