Empire of Dreams (2004)
Empire of Dreams: The Story of the 'Star Wars' Trilogy (original title)Reference View | Change View
- 2h 31min
- Documentary, History
- 20 Sep 2004 (UK)
- Video
An in-depth making of documentary about the original Star Wars trilogy, covering the productions of the three films and their impact on popular culture.
Directors:
Writer:
Awards:
- Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Complete, Cast awaiting verification
| Robert Clotworthy | ... |
Narrator (voice)
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| Walter Cronkite | ... |
Self - Journalist
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| George Lucas | ... |
Self - Filmmaker
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| Steven Spielberg | ... |
Self - Filmmaker
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| Irvin Kershner | ... |
Self - Director
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| Howard G. Kazanjian | ... |
Self - Producer
(as Howard Kazanjian)
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| Gary Kurtz | ... |
Self - Producer
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Leo Braudy | ... |
Self - Professor and Cultural Historian, University of Southern California
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| Bill Moyers | ... |
Self - Journalist (archiveFootage)
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| Carrie Fisher | ... |
Self / Princess Leia Organa
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Gareth Wigan | ... |
Self - Former Production Executive, 20th Century Fox
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| Alan Ladd Jr. | ... |
Self - Former Studio Chief, 20th Century Fox
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Ralph McQuarrie | ... |
Self - Conceptual Artist
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| Richard Edlund | ... |
Self - Cameraman, Miniature and Optical Effects
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| Steve Gawley | ... |
Self - Model Maker
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| John Dykstra | ... |
Self - Visual Effects Supervisor
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Paul Huston | ... |
Self - Model Maker
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| Joe Johnston | ... |
Self - Visual Effects Art Director
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| Lorne Peterson | ... |
Self - Model Maker
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| Dennis Muren | ... |
Self - Visual Effects
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| Mark Hamill | ... |
Self - 'Luke Skywalker'
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| Harrison Ford | ... |
Self / Han Solo
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| Peter Mayhew | ... |
Self - 'Chewbacca'
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| Kenny Baker | ... |
Self - 'R2-D2'
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| Anthony Daniels | ... |
Self - 'C-3PO'
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| Norman Reynolds | ... |
Self - Art Director and Production Designer
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| Robert Watts | ... |
Self - Production Supervisor
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| Peter Diamond | ... |
Self - Stunt Coordinator
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| Richard Chew | ... |
Self - Film Editor
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| Paul Hirsch | ... |
Self - Film Editor
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| Ken Ralston | ... |
Self - Visual Effects
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| Ben Burtt | ... |
Self - Sound Designer
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| James Earl Jones | ... |
Self / Darth Vader
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| Phil Tippett | ... |
Self - Stop-Motion Animator
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| John Williams | ... |
Self - Composer
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| Sidney Ganis | ... |
Self - Former Marketing Director, Lucasfilm
(as Sid Ganis)
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| Lawrence Kasdan | ... |
Self - Writer
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| Billy Dee Williams | ... |
Self - 'Lando Calrissian'
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| Stuart Freeborn | ... |
Self - Makeup and Special Creature Design
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| Frank Oz | ... |
Self - 'Yoda'
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Charles Weber | ... |
Self - Former President, Lucasfilm
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| Jim Bloom | ... |
Self - Production Supervisor
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| Warwick Davis | ... |
Self - 'Wicket the Ewok'
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Alec Guinness | ... |
Self / Obi-Wan Kenobi (archiveFootage)
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| William Katt | ... |
Luke Skywalker (archiveFootage)
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| Perry King | ... |
Han Solo (archiveFootage)
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| Terri Nunn | ... |
Princess Leia (archiveFootage)
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| David Prowse | ... |
Self / Darth Vader (archiveFootage)
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| Kurt Russell | ... |
Han Solo (archiveFootage)
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| Gilbert Taylor | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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| Cindy Williams | ... |
Princess Leia (archiveFootage)
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| Jimmy Carter | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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| Betty Ford | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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| Gerald Ford | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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London Symphony Orchestra | ... |
Themselves (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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| Richard Marquand | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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| Richard Nixon | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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Angela Staines | ... |
Senni Tonnika (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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Directed by
| Edith Becker | ||
| Kevin Burns | ||
Written by
| Ed Singer | ... | () |
Produced by
| Cal Barton | ... | field producer |
| Edith Becker | ... | producer |
| Kevin Burns | ... | executive producer |
| Scott Hartford | ... | senior associate producer: Prometheus Entertainment |
| Rick Hull | ... | field producer |
| Brigid Kelly | ... | associate producer |
| Pat Lore | ... | field producer |
| Erika Schroeder | ... | coordinating producer |
| Kim Sheerin | ... | supervising producer |
| Steven C. Smith | ... | supervising producer (as Steven Smith) |
| Vicki Sufian | ... | field producer |
| Jim Ward | ... | executive producer: Lucasfilm |
Editing by
| Troy Bogert | ||
| David Comtois | ||
| Scott B. Morgan | ||
| Molly Shock | ||
Editorial Department
| David Bell | ... | post-production coordinator |
| Chris Camerote | ... | assistant editor |
| Brian Feeney | ... | assistant editor |
| Scott Freeman | ... | Artist Inventor of Agnostic Tapeless Conform Workflow includes Roundtrip / conform editor / finishing artist |
| Sam Fricke | ... | additional editor |
| Andrew Giacometti | ... | director of post-production |
| Mark W. Jacobs | ... | on-line editor |
| Raymond Parra | ... | assistant editor (as Ray Parra) |
| Plowden Schumacher | ... | additional editor |
| Rebecca Short | ... | additional editor |
| Patrick J. Smith | ... | assistant editor (as Patrick Smith) |
| Jason Tam | ... | assistant editor |
| Jose Valencia | ... | post-production coordinator |
| Brian Razzano | ... | assistant editor (uncredited) |
Makeup Department
| Sherri June | ... | makeup artist |
| Martina Kohl | ... | makeup artist |
| Thecla Luisi | ... | makeup artist (as Thecla T.C. Luisi) |
| Rada Maksimovich | ... | makeup artist |
| Jessica Schwab | ... | makeup artist |
| Jeannie Taylor | ... | makeup artist |
Production Management
| Sharon Berman Keimon | ... | post-production manager |
| Michael Kohn | ... | production manager |
| Kristine Mejia | ... | production manager |
Sound Department
| Michael Baum | ... | production sound |
| Michael Dastolfo | ... | re-recording engineer (as Mike Dastolfo) |
| Doug Farris | ... | production sound |
| Brian Gerstner | ... | re-recording engineer |
| Dave Hakala | ... | production sound |
| Alan Halcon | ... | production sound |
| Gary Heimann | ... | production sound |
| Mark Hoover | ... | production sound |
| Joe Kalish | ... | assistant sound re-recording engineer / sound editor |
| Adrian Marcianti | ... | production sound |
| Noah Mathers | ... | production sound |
| John Sweety | ... | production sound |
| Ian Vollmer | ... | production sound |
| Christopher Dean White | ... | production sound (as Chris White) |
| Wayne O'Brien | ... | conform editor (international versions) (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Rick Bennett | ... | camera operator |
| Lars Bunch | ... | motion control camera: Arroyo Media |
| Cory Geryak | ... | camera operator |
| Conrad Hunziker III | ... | camera operator (as Conrad Hunziker) |
| Martin Kauper | ... | motion control camera: Arroyo Media |
| John Lawrence | ... | camera operator |
| Lou Leta | ... | camera operator |
| Rob McWilliams | ... | camera operator |
| Bret Stern | ... | camera operator |
| Peter Trilling | ... | camera operator |
Animation Department
| Wade Lageose | ... | animator |
| Doug Whitney | ... | animator |
Music Department
| John Williams | ... | conductor |
Additional Crew
| Fred Altieri | ... | media technician |
| Matt Azeveda | ... | image archives: Lucasfilm |
| David Berry | ... | additional footage (as Dave Berry) |
| Amy Canales | ... | production assistant: Prometheus Entertainment |
| Scott Carter | ... | image archives: Lucasfilm |
| Carmen Castaneda | ... | production assistant |
| Cesar Cruz | ... | production assistant |
| Erin DeVitre | ... | business and legal affairs: Fox Television Studios |
| Nicole Dintaman | ... | researcher |
| Christian Evans | ... | production assistant |
| Wendy Exley | ... | production administrator |
| Jon Field | ... | researcher |
| Josh Finley | ... | media assistant |
| Laela French | ... | archives: Lucasfilm |
| Jon Joseph Glover | ... | researcher |
| Becca Gullion | ... | research assistant (as Rebecca Gullion) |
| Bill Hader | ... | production assistant |
| Lynne Hale | ... | publicist: Lucasfilm |
| Duane Hanakeawe | ... | production assistant |
| Sterling Hedgpeth | ... | archives: Lucasfilm |
| Christopher Holm | ... | clearance: Lucasfilm |
| Dinah Houghtaling | ... | archives: Lucasfilm |
| Laura Icken | ... | business and legal affairs: Fox Television Studios |
| Malcolm Jeffries | ... | production assistant |
| Calvin Jones | ... | media manager (as Calvin Lee Jones III) |
| Michelle Jouan | ... | image archives: Lucasfilm |
| Jerianne Keaney | ... | director of clearances |
| Kevin Kurtz | ... | creative director: Lucasfilm |
| Wade Lageose | ... | title designer |
| Shelley Lyons | ... | general manager: Fox Television Studios |
| Jennifer McKenna | ... | archives: Lucasfilm |
| Tina Mills | ... | image archives: Lucasfilm |
| Matthew Nathe | ... | image archives: Lucasfilm |
| Brian Nowakowski | ... | business and legal affairs: Fox Television Studios |
| John Nugent | ... | production assistant |
| Michelle Parker | ... | unit publicist |
| Steven J. Peña | ... | business and legal affairs: Fox Television Studios |
| Tom Quinn | ... | distribution/finance: Lucasfilm |
| John Rantz | ... | production assistant |
| Vicki Rocco | ... | production accountant: Fox Television Studios (as Vicki B. Rocco) |
| Karen Rose | ... | publicist: Lucasfilm |
| Steve Sansweet | ... | fan relations: Lucasfilm (as Stephen J. Sansweet) |
| Patrick Sheehan | ... | production assistant |
| Derek Shimoda | ... | production assistant |
| John Singh | ... | publicist: Lucasfilm |
| Jeff Ulin | ... | distribution/finance: Lucasfilm |
| Victoria Van Ysseldyk | ... | publicist: Lucasfilm |
| Alex Walton | ... | researcher |
| Tom Warner | ... | creative director: Lucasfilm |
| Doug Whitney | ... | title designer |
| Sean Williams | ... | chyron operator |
Thanks
| Adam Avitabile | ... | acknowledgment |
| Carl Baggese | ... | acknowledgment |
| Kenny Baker | ... | special thanks |
| Schawn Belston | ... | acknowledgment (as Shawn Belston) |
| Jim Bloom | ... | special thanks |
| Peter C. Borsari | ... | acknowledgment: stills and posters courtesy of (as Peter Borsari) |
| Leo Braudy | ... | special thanks |
| Craig Burns | ... | acknowledgment |
| Ben Burtt | ... | acknowledgment: stills and posters courtesy of / special thanks |
| Constante 'C.C.' Cabunoc | ... | acknowledgment (as Constante Cabunoc) |
| David Carr | ... | acknowledgment |
| Richard Chew | ... | special thanks |
| Walter Cronkite | ... | special thanks |
| Anthony Daniels | ... | acknowledgment: stills and posters courtesy of / special thanks |
| Richard Danilowicz | ... | acknowledgment |
| Warwick Davis | ... | special thanks |
| Sven Davison | ... | acknowledgment |
| Peter Diamond | ... | special thanks |
| John Dykstra | ... | special thanks |
| Richard Edlund | ... | special thanks |
| Paul Ens | ... | acknowledgment: Lucas Online |
| Carrie Fisher | ... | special thanks |
| Harrison Ford | ... | special thanks |
| Stuart Freeborn | ... | special thanks |
| Sidney Ganis | ... | special thanks (as Sid Ganis) |
| Steve Gawley | ... | special thanks |
| Alan Goldberg | ... | acknowledgment: ABC News Productions |
| Mark Hamill | ... | acknowledgment: stills and posters courtesy of / special thanks |
| Bob Herron | ... | special thanks |
| Pablo Hidalgo | ... | acknowledgment: Lucas Online |
| Paul Hirsch | ... | special thanks |
| Ron Howard | ... | special thanks |
| Paul Huston | ... | special thanks |
| Joe Johnston | ... | special thanks |
| James Earl Jones | ... | special thanks |
| Lawrence Kasdan | ... | special thanks |
| William Katt | ... | special thanks |
| Howard G. Kazanjian | ... | special thanks (as Howard Kazanjian) |
| Irvin Kershner | ... | special thanks |
| Perry King | ... | special thanks |
| Ken Kramer | ... | acknowledgment: The Clip Joint for Films |
| Gary Kurtz | ... | acknowledgment: stills and posters courtesy of / special thanks |
| Alan Ladd Jr. | ... | special thanks |
| Paul Le Mat | ... | special thanks |
| Sandra Joy Lee | ... | acknowledgment: ILM (as Sandra Lee Joy) |
| George Lucas | ... | special thanks |
| Angelique Mayhew | ... | acknowledgment: stills and posters courtesy of (as Angie Mayhew) |
| Peter Mayhew | ... | acknowledgment: stills and posters courtesy of / special thanks |
| Ralph McQuarrie | ... | special thanks |
| Bill Moyers | ... | special thanks |
| Dennis Muren | ... | special thanks |
| Terri Nunn | ... | special thanks |
| Frank Oz | ... | special thanks |
| Wes Page | ... | acknowledgment |
| Ellen Pasternack | ... | acknowledgment: ILM (as Ellen Pasternak) |
| Lorne Peterson | ... | special thanks |
| Mackenzie Phillips | ... | special thanks |
| Ken Ralston | ... | special thanks |
| Norman Reynolds | ... | special thanks |
| Kurt Russell | ... | special thanks |
| Kevin Shandy | ... | acknowledgment |
| Charles Martin Smith | ... | special thanks |
| Steven Spielberg | ... | special thanks |
| Suzy Starke | ... | acknowledgment: ILM |
| Martin Thresher | ... | acknowledgment |
| Rose Thresher | ... | acknowledgment |
| Malachi Throne | ... | special thanks |
| Phil Tippett | ... | special thanks |
| Julian Wasser | ... | acknowledgment: stills and posters courtesy of, Getty Images |
| Robert Watts | ... | special thanks |
| Charles Weber | ... | special thanks |
| Cam Whitman | ... | special thanks |
| Gareth Wigan | ... | special thanks |
| Billy Dee Williams | ... | special thanks |
| Cindy Williams | ... | special thanks |
| John Williams | ... | special thanks |
| Marilou York | ... | acknowledgment: stills and posters courtesy of (as Marilou Hamill) |
| Stacey Zipfel | ... | acknowledgment (as Stacey M. Zipfel) |
Production Companies
- Prometheus Entertainment
- Fox Television Studios (in association with)
- Lucasfilm (in association with)
Distributors
- 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (United Kingdom) (DVD)
- 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (United States) (DVD)
- A+E Networks (2004) (United States) (tv)
- Disney+ (United States) (video) (VOD)
- Disney+ (2021) (Singapore) (video) (VOD)
- FS Film (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
- Nova Cinema (2015) (Greece) (tv)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- A+E Networks (additional footage)
- ABC News Productions (acknowledgment)
- ABC News Video Source (additional footage)
- ABC News (additional footage)
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) (stills and posters)
- American Zoetrope (stills and posters)
- Arroyo Media (motion control camera)
- CONUS Communications (additional footage)
- Clip Joint for Films (acknowledgment)
- Columbia Pictures (stills and posters)
- Concorde-New Horizons (stills and posters)
- Corbis (stills and posters)
- First Com Inc. (additional music)
- Getty Images (stills and posters courtesy of)
- HD-Cinema (acknowledgment)
- Hasbro (additional footage)
- ITN Archive (additional footage)
- ITN Archive/Reuters (additional footage courtesy of)
- Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) (acknowledgment)
- Joseph Campbell Foundation (photos of Joseph Campbell used with permission of)
- King Features Syndicate ("Flash Gordon: Planet of Peril" courtesy of)
- Leo Caloia Film Archive (additional footage)
- Lucasfilm Archives (stills and posters)
- Lucasfilm Image Archives (stills and posters)
- Lucasfilm (additional footage)
- Lucasfilm (music courtesy of)
- Matchframe Video (post-production facility)
- Monaco Film Labs (telecine transfers)
- National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) (additional footage)
- Paramount Pictures (stills and posters)
- Photo Fest (stills and posters courtesy of)
- Pixar Animation Studios (stills and posters)
- Post Services (post-production facilities)
- Post Services (telecine transfers)
- Producer's Library Service (additional footage)
- Research Library (stills and posters)
- Rex USA (stills and posters courtesy of)
- SSI Advanced (post-production facility)
- SSI Advanced (telecine)
- Sam Irvin Collection (stills and posters)
- Shooting Star International (stills and posters courtesy of)
- Space Productions ("Lost in Space" courtesy of)
- Space Productions (music courtesy of)
- Synthesis Entertainment ("Lost in Space" courtesy of)
- The Walt Disney Company (stills and posters)
- Turner Entertainment (stills and posters courtesy of)
- Twentieth Century Fox Archive (additional footage)
- Twentieth Century Fox Archive (stills source)
- Twentieth Century Fox (additional footage courtesy of)
- Twentieth Century Fox (stills and posters courtesy of)
- UCLA Film and Television Archive (additional footage)
- USC School of Cinema-Television, Moving Image Archive ("Electronic Labyrinth" courtesy of)
- Universal Studios Licensing (stills and posters courtesy of)
- Van Ness Films (production services)
- WPA Film Library (additional footage)
- Warner Bros. Entertainment (stills and posters courtesy of)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
This documentary chronicles the making of the original Star Wars trilogy from start to finish. We get some background on George Lucas' start in the business and then continue with the making of Star Wars (1977), Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983). The visual/special effects and financial problems are explained as well as casting, editing, scoring and releasing the films with tons of archival footage and interviews with plenty of cast & crew members. Written by Rhyl Donnelly |
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| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | David Prowse, who portrayed Darth Vader physically in most scenes of the original Star Wars trilogy, was not interviewed for this documentary, and is only briefly featured through archive footage. This was due to his strained relationship with Lucasfilm and George Lucas in particular (due to an incident for which the actor was unfairly blamed as a result of a miscommunication), which also led to Prowse subsequently being banned from attending official Star Wars fan conventions. See more » |
| Goofs | During a segment on merchandising for the original Star Wars, pictures of Princess Leia dolls wearing 'space fashions' are shown. However, this clothing line never made it into production. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Revenge of the Sith Review (2010). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Cantina Band See more » |
| Crazy Credits | After the credits there is a final outake of General Dodonna (Alex McCrindle) saying "and may the force go with you". See more » |
| Quotes |
Harrison Ford:
I think George likes people, I think George is a warm-hearted person, but... he's a little impatient with the process of acting, of finding something. He thinks that something's there. "It's right there, I wrote it down. Do that". You know, sometimes you can't just "do that" and make it work. See more » |