Why the final film of the original Star Wars trilogy was almost called Revenge
In short: George Lucas originally titled the third Star Wars film Revenge of the Jedi, but changed it after deciding that Jedi should never seek vengeance. The production was a high-stakes race against time, featuring a secret ruse title to prevent price gouging and a frantic, 20-hour-a-day schedule for special effects.
The production of Return of the Jedi, released in 1983, was marked by significant creative and logistical hurdles. George Lucas, who financed the film personally, faced challenges finding a director after Irvin Kershner declined to return. While Lucas initially sought Steven Spielberg, a conflict with the Directors Guild of America prevented his involvement. Other candidates like David Lynch and David Cronenberg also turned down the offer, eventually leading Lucas to hire Richard Marquand. Lucas remained heavily involved on set, often assisting with special effects, a domain where Marquand had less experience.
The film's development was famously chaotic. The script, written by Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan, was not finalized until late in the pre-production process. This forced the team to rely on storyboards and rough drafts to begin work. During this time, the title was briefly changed to Revenge of the Jedi, a decision Lucas later reversed. Thousands of teaser posters bearing the original title had already been distributed, and Lucasfilm eventually sold the remaining stock of 6,800 posters to fan club members for $9.50 each. The production also used the ruse title Blue Harvest to avoid press attention and service provider price gouging.
Technical innovation was a defining feature of the film's release. After testing the movie in commercial theaters, Lucas discovered that poor acoustics and mono sound systems muffled the audio. This frustration led him to establish THX, a cinema audio certification company, to ensure higher standards for sound. The film was the first to be presented with the new THX system in four U.S. theaters. Despite mixed critical reception at the time—with many reviewers considering it the weakest of the original trilogy—the film was a massive commercial success, grossing $374 million during its initial run and eventually reaching a total of $482 million.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Return of the Jedi
- Also: Wikidata — Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — Star Wars: Return of the Jedi · CC0
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