Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
This isn’t true. Not a word of it. I’d be willing to wager Harry’s entire fortune on it. I’m running it because I don’t want to disappoint any of you who love to get worked up about AICN running “bullshit.” Consider this your full week’s load of bullshit all at once. Get a big spoon, too, ‘cause there’s a lot of it here...
Hi Harry! Call me Darthbreaker Kid. As a long time reader of your site, I felt this report could be groundbreaking news to you...
First off, let me introduce myself to you. I live in San Francisco, and I'm beginning graduate studies in screenwriting right now (part time). I have a friend of mine who happens to be closely involved into George Lucas actual screenwriting process. Of course, for legal purpose, I will not reveal any further detail on who this person is, or what's his job inside M. Lucas's tight circle of collaborators.
All I can say about this person is that "he" or "she" had the opportunity to read the COMPLETE FIRST DRAFT of Star Wars Episode III, and he did it today, since George Lucas appearantly finished the script yesterday. The fact that Lucas allowed him/her to read that script is explainable by his own innovative decision of submitting his first draft to a small "committee" of reviewers whose members consist of a few of his close collaborators and some other colleagues that are not very "influent" in the industry, in order to have their opinions on what they've liked and what they've disliked about it. I think Geores Lucas just wanna be 110% sure to not miss is shot this time, as he did once for TPM (well, to some extent!).
As he got back from his "work" he (can be a "she", I just use the word "he" to make it easier) gave me a detailed description of this incredible script on the phone, vainly trying to stay cool while he was driving (he actually came close to hit a another car on the highway!). I'd say that on the many times he has talked to me over the phone when he was going back to his home for the weekend, it's the first time I heard him being so enthusiastic. Believe me, my friend had a lot to say. The story is very, very dark and has some stuff in it that's worth a PG-13 rating, but it still has somewhat of a happy ending, even if it doesn’t comply with Hollywood's standards of a happy ending. But I won't get any further on that, you'll see what I'm talking about when you'll read the story. According to him, the tentative title of Episode III is, as it was written down on the script's cover, "A Jedi's Destiny". I know that title will change, well.. I hope so...after all that's just a tentative title. The title is fine in some ways, but to my hears, it sounds a little bit too much "Expanded Universe" for my taste. Before reading, remember that this is only a description of the main plot points of the script, So here it is... a point-by-point description of everything that this friend told me about "Star Wars Episode III: A Jedi's Destiny", and watch out, that's some very hot piece of spoiler stuff:
First of all the story has an introduction that will ram the arse of every Star Wars fan in the world: the opening crawl is followed by the massive scene of a hundred Star Destroyers, from various sizes, charging at what is soon revealed to be the last remnants of the Trade Federation, that is still led by Nute Gunray. Thousands and thousands of Tie Fighters (also called "Clone Starfighters") and the "Wing" fighters (V-Wings, Y-Wings, and early X-Wings, wich are all non-clone piloted crafts). Then the whole story ends as any SW geek would predict: a cloaked Obi-Wan brings a baby (Luke Skywalker) to Owen Lars and his wife, and then disappears in the dusty landscape of Tattoine.
The Galactic Empire is declared by the Senate (or what's left of it...) right after the Trade Federation is defeated. On Alderaan, the Loyalist Commitee, led by Prince Bail Organa and Jedi Master Yoda declares the birth of the Rebel Alliance, and a few solar systems are joining the paramilitary group, as a few Jedis do (they all die later). Only Mace Windu and a few Jedis are still on Coruscant, but it seems that Mace stayed there to trace the source of a dark side presence he and Yoda felt recently.
There is a cool scene on Corellia where Bail Organa makes a deal with a great starship producer, who has lost his main client, the Trade Federation. The man is a great industrial who's called... Grando Carlissian. Carlissian contracts with Organa the production of a huge amount of large-sized spaceships -frigates, cruisers and destroyers- for the newborn Alliance. As it happens, there is a memorable sequence where a young Lando Carlissian tells his father (Grando Carlissian) he has to borrow a "Falcon" to go to a party on some planet. His father disagrees, a short dispute takes place between them, then Lando arrogantly steals a ship and flies away, to the great damn of his father. Then Grando gives a by-the-way lecture to Bail about raising childrens. Also, there is a line where Grando says something like: "Let's hope they'll all be built and shipped before the Empire comes for a visit!". That gives a nice impression of how the Empire's dictatorship is already born at that time.
There is a key discussion between Dooku and Sidious. That happens moments before Palpatine declares himself the Emperor of the Galaxy. We get to see them inside Sidious's "lair" on Coruscant, in the old warehouse district of Coruscant. Sidious says that "the time has come for the fall of the Jedi and the pitiful Republic", and he tells Dooku to get ready for the "final phase" of his plans, that they will together do the final mindgame on Anakin to make him to a Sith. As he is talking, we see Sidious in the middle of a great hall, approaching an object that's levitating above a circle of light on the floor. It is a small pyramid, with strange "carvings" on it. Appearantly, that would be a Sith Holocron, but it's up to you to guess. As Sidious opens his hands on each side of the pyramid, without touching it, he recites what appears to be an old Sith incantation, in the Sith language. Then the pyramid changes into... a shapeless "blackhole", or a form made of pure darkness, that is about the size of the body of a man. Sidious walks into it, and then the darkness gets sucked by his whole body in a strange way, with bursts of blue lightning emanating from him, and reaching the great walls and the colums of the hall. When it stops, Sidious remains physically unchanged. We see the uncloaked face of Palpatine smiling with an evil expression.
Padme, who was still on Naboo, is reported to have been abducted. General Obi Wan Kenobi, as he is returning from a long and dangerous "Crusade" to defend the Republic, alongside his padawan Anakin realizes that the whole Republic was fooled by Palpatine and now decides to join the Alliance. But Anakin does not agree with that... and the two are separating after an argument. The appearent enthusiastic friendship between the two Jedis that is seen during the first quarter of the script is now exploding into verbal rage, and even menaces on behalf of Anakin. Anakin leaves for Coruscant, going to see the Emperor and to meet with his fate. He leaves his lightsaber behind him, hoping one of his childrens will "make better use of it". Anakin has strong resentments against the Jedi Order, Obi-Wan and the rest of the Order still not willing to recognize him as a Jedi Knight despite the great feats he achieved during the Clone Wars, and is now more loyal to Palpatine than to the Jedis. Anakin is dispatched by the Emperor on a mission to save Padme.
The great duel between Anakin and Obi-wan takes place somewhere near the 2/3 of the script, but that is not the only major fight between a Sith and a Jedi... since Anakin will initially fight against Dooku, and Yoda will engage in a duel with Palpatine at the end of all the mayhem. How does that all happens?
First Anakin is fighting alongside the Empire forces (and a few fallen Jedis) in a mission to what is later revealed to be Dooku's base (a heavily guarded station on a volcanic planet full of huge forges and starship factories). Anakin, with the aid of Stormtroopers, overruns the base and he finally reaches Dooku. Of course, he discover that Dooku is not only the man behind the assassination of his mother, but the one responsible for the abduction of Padme. Dooku shows him being Padme suspended above a pit full of lava, ready to get thrown into death at Dooku's command. Dooku laughs and then enters... Palpatine, accompanied by red guards and stormtroopers. Palpatine defies Dooku (not for real, of course), and at the same time he lures Anakin into giving up to his hatred. In what my friend describes as "probably the most f****** disturbing moment in the whole damn trilogy", Dooku kills Padme... Anakin sees his wife horribly falling into molten lava, and he explodes into a burst of rage.
Then Obi-Wan, back on Alderran, realizes he has made a mistake to underestimate his padawan's talents as a Jedi. While he is on Alderaan with Yoda, he senses that the dark side endangers Anakin, and he decides to go after him in a desperate attempt to convince him to get back to the Order, with the agreement of Yoda to give him his title of Jedi Knight. But that's too late for him. As Obi Wan arrives on "Altair 6", the volcanic planet where Dooku is hiding, and he forces his way through a handful of fallen Jedis who are guarding the place, defeating them with both the Force and his lightsaber, he realizes Anakin has already fallen on the dark side. He enters the command center. Dooku is lying dead on the floor, slained to the chest, Anakin is crouching and struggling with what appears to be a terrible headache, as a mysterious hooded figure is welcoming Obi-Wan in hateful manners. He reveals himself to Obi-Wan as being Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith who controlled the Senate for years. Obi-Wan calls after Anakin, telling him he's in a "dangerous situation" and that he came to save him. Then we see Anakin getting and opening his eyes... that are now burning of hatred. Anakin answers by saying that Anakin is no more, and that he is Darth Vader! As Darth Vader reveals his evil to Obi-Wan, he ignites a RED lightsaber, pointed at his old master. Obi-Wan refuses to fight with Anakin/Vader, saying that "there has been too much violence in this galaxy already", and that "it's time to stop". He repeatedly dodges Vader's attacks, without igniting his lighsaber against his old friend. Anakin/Vader tells Obi-Wan how the dark side seduced him when he avenged his mother, and that "only the dark side can bring Justice". Obi-Wan, emotionally schocked by Anakin's fall, finally cries to Anakin/Vader, that he has lost his mind and is corrupted by the dark side. As Anakin rushes to him once again, while the two are struggling among a huge complex of metal forging machines, mining robots and lava pits, Obi-Wan finally ignites his saber and the two Jedis engage in a violent fight. Anakin uses the dark side on Obi-Wan with massive strength, moving rocks and machine parts, but Obi-Wan, keeping his cold blood, remarkably slips away from Vader's Force attacks. Here we see a Obi-Wan who's mastering the Force in every way, elegant but deadly, so much that Anakin has trouble keeping momentum over Obi-Wan. In an access of tremendous rage, Anakin throws what was described as a "glowing ball of flaming energy" at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan does a Force trick, dodging the fireball, and ends up behind Vader. He jumps again and then makes a small cut on the top of Anakin's head (think of the scar you see on Vader's bald head in ESB and ROTJ), and then gives another strike to his chest. That does not kill him, despite Vader is destabilized, and, screaming in pain, he falls into the molten lava pit.
The final fight ensues when Obi-Wan, crouching down in desolation on the footbrige (a moment after Anakin's fall), gets suddenly blasted by a ball of firing energy thrown at him by Sidious/Palpatine. Obi-Wan is lying half-conscious on the floor as the Dark Lord expresses his eagerness to "wipe him definitely from the Force". Sidious points his arm at Obi-Wan again, his hand begins to glow like fire, and says "Here comes your death, Master Kenobi!". And suddenly, the Dark Lord is violently pushed to the wall by an unknown force! We see Master Yoda entering the scene, with an expression of gravity. He says something like "No more Jedis you will destroy, Sidious!". Sidious gets up, and says "That's what we will see, Jedi!" and, filled with murderous rage, ignites a BLACK lightsaber (yes, a lightsaber with a BLACK blade!!!) and rushes towards Yoda. Without even igniting his own saber, Yoda effortlessly dodges Sidious's violent attacks by rolling and jumping at the speed of light. Then Yoda vanishes and Sidious hears his voice, coming from nowhere: "Your hatred makes you weaker, Sith WITCH". And then the little master reappears right behind Sidious. Sidious instantly turns toward Yoda with a quick and powerful lighsaber strike at him, but as Sidious's saber approaches the unarmed Yoda, the little green master "ignites himself", and a violent light suddenly emanates from his whole body, as if he were just a glowing being of very brillant light. The light shines in so much brillance that its rays are not only blinding Sidious, but partially burning his skin. The Dark Lord falls on his back, in terrible pain and confusion. Then a moment later, red guards and troopers arrive to the side of a devastated Sidious, who's just recovering from his temporary blindness. He finds no trace of either Yoda or Obi-Wan Kenobi. To him, he's not sure wheter if Yoda is still alive or not, but it is sure that Obi-Wan has escaped. And then we see an horribly scarred figure crawling out from a pit, looking like a living corpse. It's Vader. Palpatine stands tall in front of the rampant body, and tells him that if he choses to serve him as his master, he will be healed. Anakin agrees.
There is alos the huge fight inside the Jedi Temple, where Mace Windu is killed by Anakin himself, That happens when he finally discovers the true identity of Palpatine, gets back to the Temple, and decides to fall back after seeing that Ki Adi Mundi (yes!) and the some remaining Jedis of the Order have fallen on the dark side, and are ordered by Palpatine "to slay all resistant presence". Mace Windu is found, but successfully defends himself, slaying the Dark Jedis with the support of the few other Jedis who stayed true to the Force. But Anakin, at this time, steps in, and thinking that he's defending the Jedi Order against traitors, he attacks Windu and the few good Jedis. A short duel ensues. Anakin begins to use the dark side and is very strong. The Jedis are killed by Anakin, and Windu, cornered by Anakin on the edge of a ledge outside the Jedi Temple, chooses to let himself die the same way Obi-Wan dies in ANH, as Anakin strikes him and Windu mysteriously vanishes. Before Anakin strikes, Mace Windu tells Anakin that he his dominated by his sorrow, and only the light can save him. But Anakin did'nt understood, having already lost his mind.
A Death Star prototype is used near the end of the story. It's somewhat smaller, and more "functionality-oriented" (resembling more a moon-sized canon), to the ones in ANH and ROTJ. Vader himself (in full body armor) commands the Death Star, with Grand Moff Tarkin on his side... to destroy the planet of Naboo, as a test to produce a full Death Star. During that moment, Vader whispers to himself that it is "the last memento of his lost love", so he thinks he will forget his pain that way, by disintegrating a remnant of his wonderful past.
The Skywalker twins are being nurtured on Alderaan while the story takes place. They are supposed to be seen only in the ending sequences of the film, on Alderaan.
So that's it! there's probably some stuff that either I or my friend forgot about the script, but the most important stuff is right there. And I don't know what you thik about it, but I personally think this is the stuff that could make any Star Wars fan forgot all the aftertaste he had from TPM or even AOTC (for a few of us), as soon as the movie is well directed...
By the way, I hesitated to send you this report since the moment I first began to write it down yesterday. I thought you'd probably take me for a troll or something, since you don't know me and, more importantly, you may be one of the world's most well-informed film geek on the current developments of the last chapter of the Star Wars trilogy, so you may be able to see the difference between a true report and a piece of written crap from many yards away (at least). But then again, it's a risk I'm taking for all the SW fans on this planet, and not to break their surprise for the next film, but to show them how the final chapter of the SW franchise is going to give them all that they've dreamed of since they first saw a Star Wars film and wanted "more"!
Oh... my ribs... can’t stop laughing... this is even better than Film Threat’s recent totally bullshit EPISODE III scoop. The total lack of news coming out of Skywalker Ranch seems to be making fanboys crazy, and they’re starting to come up with more and more hilarious ways to entertain themselves...
"Moriarty" out.
