With fans debating the value and purpose of George Lucas' foray into animation with The Clone Wars, Starkiller: The Jedi Bendu Script Page offers a nostalgic and informative look back at the conceptual stages of the original films.
Offering the early drafts and shooting scripts of the first three Star Wars movies, the growing library invites fans to contribute material encompassing the entire series. To accompany the movies' literary history, the pages feature original production design concept art by such sci-fi greats as Ralph McQuarrie (above).
As the site puts it, the Jedi Bendu mission is:
• To pursue and find (photocopies of) early drafts and screenplays of the original trilogy (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi) and the prequel trilogy (The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith).
• To pursue and find (photocopies of) storyboards from the aforementioned films, by such artists as Alex Tavoularis, Ivor Beddoes, Irvin Kershner, Joe Johnston, et al.
• To pursue and find (copies of) rare photographs or film clips detailing cut scenes or angles not normally shown in the films themselves.
• To pursue and find (copies of) blueprints, floor plans, call sheets, etc., from the films.
For fans, it's a fun look back. For aspiring writers, Lucas' early efforts show the value of revisions as his first drafts were awful and a far cry from the cinema-changing films Star Wars would become.
Image courtesy Ralph McQuarrie
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