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Star Wars: A New Hope - Screenplay
A LONG TIME AGO IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY . . ."It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire."REBEL BLOCKADE RUNNER--MAIN HALLWAYThe awesome seven-foot-tall Dark Lord of The Sith makes his way into the blinding light of the main passageway. This is Darth Vader, right hand of the Emperor.Commander, tear this ship apart until you've found those plans and bring me the Ambassador. I want her alive!*****Even the best actors, the most talented director, and the most amazing special effects can't make a great movie without a superb story to build on. Now here is the complete screenplay of the cornerstone film that launched a science fiction phenomenon.Experience the capture of Princess Leia by Lord Darth Vader and the evil minions of the Empire . . . Farmboy Luke Skywalker's discovery of her desperate message hidden in the droid R2-D2 . . . Luke's fateful meetings with legendary Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and intergalactic smuggler Han Solo . . . And the climactic battle to destroy the sinister Death Star.Fully illustrated with the original storyboard art--and featuring hightlights of the famous Rolling Stone interview with George Lucas--this definitive volume is a must for every Star Wars library.
173 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
6 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
About the author
George Lucas
266 books603 followersGeorge Walton Lucas Jr. is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises and founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairman of Lucasfilm before selling it to The Walt Disney Company in 2012. Nominated for four Academy Awards, he is considered to be one of the most significant figures of the 20th-century New Hollywood movement, and a pioneer of the modern blockbuster. Despite this, he has remained an independent filmmaker away from Hollywood for most of his career.
After graduating from the University of Southern California in 1967, Lucas moved to San Francisco and co-founded American Zoetrope with filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. He wrote and directed THX 1138 (1971), based on his student short Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB, which was a critical success but a financial failure. His next work as a writer-director was American Graffiti (1973), inspired by his youth in early 1960s Modesto, California, and produced through the newly founded Lucasfilm. The film was critically and commercially successful and received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Director and Best Picture. Lucas's next film, the epic space opera Star Wars (1977), later retitled A New Hope, had a troubled production but was a surprise hit, becoming the highest-grossing film at the time, winning six Academy Awards and sparking a cultural phenomenon. Lucas produced and co-wrote the sequels The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). With director Steven Spielberg, he created, produced, and co-wrote Indiana Jones films Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), The Temple of Doom (1984), The Last Crusade (1989) and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), and served as an executive producer, with a cursory involvement in pre and post-production, on The Dial of Destiny (2023).
In 1997, Lucas re-released the original Star Wars trilogy as part of a Special Edition featuring several modifications; home media versions with further changes were released in 2004 and 2011. He returned to directing with a Star Wars prequel trilogy comprising The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005). He last collaborated on the CGI-animated movie and television series of the same name, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–2014, 2020), the war film Red Tails (2012) and the CGI film Strange Magic (2015). Lucas is also known for his collaboration with composer John Williams, who was recommended to him by Spielberg, and with whom he has worked for all the films in both of these franchises. He also produced and wrote a variety of films and television series through Lucasfilm between the 1970s and the 2010s.
Lucas is one of history's most financially successful filmmakers. He directed or wrote the story for ten of the 100 highest-grossing movies at the North American box office, adjusted for ticket-price inflation. Through his companies Industrial Light and Magic and Skywalker Sound, Lucas was involved in the production of, and financially benefited from, almost every big-budget film released in the U.S. from the late 1980s until the 2012 Disney sale. In addition to his career as a filmmaker, Lucas has founded and supported multiple philanthropic organizations and campaigns dedicated to education and the arts, including the George Lucas Educational Foundation, which has been noted as a key supporter in the creation of the federal E-Rate program to provide broadband funding to schools and libraries, and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, a forthcoming art museum in Los Angeles developed with his wife, Mellody Hobson.
After graduating from the University of Southern California in 1967, Lucas moved to San Francisco and co-founded American Zoetrope with filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. He wrote and directed THX 1138 (1971), based on his student short Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB, which was a critical success but a financial failure. His next work as a writer-director was American Graffiti (1973), inspired by his youth in early 1960s Modesto, California, and produced through the newly founded Lucasfilm. The film was critically and commercially successful and received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Director and Best Picture. Lucas's next film, the epic space opera Star Wars (1977), later retitled A New Hope, had a troubled production but was a surprise hit, becoming the highest-grossing film at the time, winning six Academy Awards and sparking a cultural phenomenon. Lucas produced and co-wrote the sequels The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). With director Steven Spielberg, he created, produced, and co-wrote Indiana Jones films Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), The Temple of Doom (1984), The Last Crusade (1989) and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), and served as an executive producer, with a cursory involvement in pre and post-production, on The Dial of Destiny (2023).
In 1997, Lucas re-released the original Star Wars trilogy as part of a Special Edition featuring several modifications; home media versions with further changes were released in 2004 and 2011. He returned to directing with a Star Wars prequel trilogy comprising The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005). He last collaborated on the CGI-animated movie and television series of the same name, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–2014, 2020), the war film Red Tails (2012) and the CGI film Strange Magic (2015). Lucas is also known for his collaboration with composer John Williams, who was recommended to him by Spielberg, and with whom he has worked for all the films in both of these franchises. He also produced and wrote a variety of films and television series through Lucasfilm between the 1970s and the 2010s.
Lucas is one of history's most financially successful filmmakers. He directed or wrote the story for ten of the 100 highest-grossing movies at the North American box office, adjusted for ticket-price inflation. Through his companies Industrial Light and Magic and Skywalker Sound, Lucas was involved in the production of, and financially benefited from, almost every big-budget film released in the U.S. from the late 1980s until the 2012 Disney sale. In addition to his career as a filmmaker, Lucas has founded and supported multiple philanthropic organizations and campaigns dedicated to education and the arts, including the George Lucas Educational Foundation, which has been noted as a key supporter in the creation of the federal E-Rate program to provide broadband funding to schools and libraries, and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, a forthcoming art museum in Los Angeles developed with his wife, Mellody Hobson.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 20, 2011
The history of Star Wars is interesting for the incredible impact it's had on society. Here you can read the actual screenplay that was turned into the famous movie. What's interesting is that the final screenplay was in itself an evolution of thought & ideas, gradually taking shape over the course of multiple drafts. The version you're reading in this book is actually version 4 or 5 - something like that, but it's very close to the final story you see in the movie.
When compared with the novel (book) ghost-written by Alan Dean Foster, the screenplay is actually more accurate to the final movie. It's also a quicker read, as a full-length book contains additional exposition and detail.
There are a few cool surprises like the missing scenes of Luke & his friends on Tattooine, the conversation of Han & Jabba the Hutt in Mos Eisley and the reuniting of Luke & Biggs before the Battle of Yavin. Most Star Wars fans are now quite familiar with these scenes, and most have been added back into the Star Wars movies in later revision ("special" editions)... but it's best to read it in the words of the author and see the original intent.
Being quite familiar with Star Wars: A New Hope, it is not a challenge to visualize each scene as you're reading it. What makes it so fun is to see how the actors took the script and really shaped it. And for crying out loud... HAN SHOOTS FIRST!
When compared with the novel (book) ghost-written by Alan Dean Foster, the screenplay is actually more accurate to the final movie. It's also a quicker read, as a full-length book contains additional exposition and detail.
There are a few cool surprises like the missing scenes of Luke & his friends on Tattooine, the conversation of Han & Jabba the Hutt in Mos Eisley and the reuniting of Luke & Biggs before the Battle of Yavin. Most Star Wars fans are now quite familiar with these scenes, and most have been added back into the Star Wars movies in later revision ("special" editions)... but it's best to read it in the words of the author and see the original intent.
Being quite familiar with Star Wars: A New Hope, it is not a challenge to visualize each scene as you're reading it. What makes it so fun is to see how the actors took the script and really shaped it. And for crying out loud... HAN SHOOTS FIRST!
September 19, 2017
In 1977, I watched A New Hope in the theater on the south side of Milwaukee. I have been a Star Wars super-fan all these years since. Well before the term "fanboy" came into popular use, I was living that life. But, in all of these years, thinking I knew everything I needed to know of the saga from watching the movies a gazillion times, the comics (Marvel, Dark Horse, now Marvel again) and gabbing (overly nerdy-like) with other fans, I never took the time to read the original trilogy novels. After all these years of being a Star Wars fanboy (am I the only person on earth that digs the Star Wars Christmas Special), I FINALLY read all three original novels this year. The insight I found in them brought me a new level of understanding. For instance, it became clear from reading A New Hope that Luke didn't shoot down the Death Star. Obi-Wan did. That's just one of the jewels I discovered in it. Now I have to go back and re-watch A New Hope AGAIN with this new perspective.
October 17, 2016
Main character Luke Skywalker joins forces with an old and skilled Jedi Knight Obi-wan Kenobi, the cocky pilot Han Solo, the wookie Chewbacca, and two droids named R2D2 and C3PO to save the galaxy from the Empire's dangerous, planet-sized battle station whilst also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the clutches of the malevolent Sith Lord, Darth Vader. They confront many challenges along the way; being hunted by the Empire and by Darth Vader himself. Yet despite the extreme hurdles in their paths, they strive through great adventures. Luke will have to venture far from his home to learn the ways of the force and to help save the universe from destruction by the hands of the empire.
Personally, Luke Skywalker was and has been my favorite character throughout the book. His confidence and persistence makes him an admirable character to me.
This has become one of my favorite books. With every page I read it just gets more and more intriguing and exhilarating. I just can't get enough of this book.
It's hard to choose a favorite part in this book. But if I had to choose one, it was when- towards the beginning of the book- when Obi-Wan and Luke Skywalker are going to look for a ship. They run into some Storm Troopers along the way who question them about the droids with them. The dialog was absolutely hilarious, I couldn't contain my laughter! There was never a part in this book that I disliked. It was nicely paced, descriptive, and worded so smoothly that it at times felt like a poem and I would not have it any other way. This wonderful book should never be changed, not in a million millennia.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to read it, but mainly to sci-fi enthusiasts. Fantasy, fiction, action and adventure lovers would also enjoy this book. Yet don't think that it is reserved only to such people, anyone would enjoy this delightful tale.
Personally, Luke Skywalker was and has been my favorite character throughout the book. His confidence and persistence makes him an admirable character to me.
This has become one of my favorite books. With every page I read it just gets more and more intriguing and exhilarating. I just can't get enough of this book.
It's hard to choose a favorite part in this book. But if I had to choose one, it was when- towards the beginning of the book- when Obi-Wan and Luke Skywalker are going to look for a ship. They run into some Storm Troopers along the way who question them about the droids with them. The dialog was absolutely hilarious, I couldn't contain my laughter! There was never a part in this book that I disliked. It was nicely paced, descriptive, and worded so smoothly that it at times felt like a poem and I would not have it any other way. This wonderful book should never be changed, not in a million millennia.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to read it, but mainly to sci-fi enthusiasts. Fantasy, fiction, action and adventure lovers would also enjoy this book. Yet don't think that it is reserved only to such people, anyone would enjoy this delightful tale.
September 15, 2014
Reading the screenplay to Lucas' movie helped me understand how it is screenwriters take highly visual concepts and translate them into words. Like the movie itself, the script has its faults. But it's still a great read, because it captures the excitement and because it's so historically relevant to film.
This is the screenplay to the first theatrical sci-fi action adventure movie ever made. There have been endless imitations and successors since then, but none of them quite eclipse the wonder of this first film.
This is the screenplay to the first theatrical sci-fi action adventure movie ever made. There have been endless imitations and successors since then, but none of them quite eclipse the wonder of this first film.
July 23, 2017
Putting this here because I can't find an entry for the novel.
It isn't perfect by any means. Still, it's always been a fun read and an enjoyable literary translation of a film that relies so much on visible elements. It's interesting to see many iconic lines from the film, but phrased slightly differently here as (I believe) the book was actually published before the movie came out. Regardless, if you're a fan of the movie, this doesn't necessarily add as much depth or complexity to the story but it is a book that will tug at your nostalgic parts.
It isn't perfect by any means. Still, it's always been a fun read and an enjoyable literary translation of a film that relies so much on visible elements. It's interesting to see many iconic lines from the film, but phrased slightly differently here as (I believe) the book was actually published before the movie came out. Regardless, if you're a fan of the movie, this doesn't necessarily add as much depth or complexity to the story but it is a book that will tug at your nostalgic parts.
February 7, 2021
It's an iconic yarn with some sparkling dialogue, but a lot of its magic came from its onscreen execution — the editing, the effects and costumes, the music, and the actors' pacing of and adjustments to the words. It's worth remembering that classic "Star Wars" was a group effort. "A New Hope" featured uncredited edits by Gloria Katz, Willard Huyck, Brian De Palma, and Jay Cocks. Lawrence Kasdan and Leigh Brackett co-wrote "The Empire Strikes Back," and Kasdan and Lucas co-wrote "Return of the Jedi." In this script for the first film, it's primarily Lucas's authorial voice, and it's surprisingly uneven at points. The stage directions are discursive, lengthy, and, in the final 40 pages, maddening, as Lucas repeats the same sentences about 3 X-wings or 3 TIE fighters "zooming" over the Death Star. Zooming. Over and over. Without specifying their direction, or how the new shot is different from the last one. If you're reading this aloud with friends (as I did), and you're the narrator (as I was), then you may find that you start skipping the word "zoom" when it appears! Some of the language describing female characters is very ... 1970s; let's put it that way. This script is an interesting example of how a film in its final form can become more than it was on the page.
October 8, 2024
C'mon, it's Star Wars. The original. I saw it at the Coronet Theatre in San Francisco in 1977 with a group of friends and on the drive back home a young lady of my acquaintance massaged my neck and let me know that she wanted to be more than just a friend. Talk about a tremor in the force !
November 4, 2017
I’m in a Star Wars phase and I’m reading everything I can
March 23, 2018
Es el primer libro que leo en inglés y además de ser entretenido fue una lectura facil, como para practicar el idioma :)
April 18, 2018
A well-written screenplay that helps me when I feel I just can keep writing screenplays. I read this and find the confidence boost I need to push on.
April 8, 2019
I like this one better than the adaptations I've read on this story because it's the real thing.
November 10, 2019
Amazing.
July 13, 2020
Good. I liked when they went through the trench scene.
Read
January 29, 2022Started my Star Wars journey!
April 26, 2022
Blast from the past
July 9, 2023
Still just as exhilarating as watching it. One of the best stories ever told
March 18, 2016
A great book made into a great movie still popular generations after it was written. The book was almost exactly like the movie but I am not complaining because I really enjoyed the movies I thought they were great. I thought it was well written using more complicated and descriptive language than almost all other books I have read. It has a great plot and sets the series up for sequels just as great as the originals.
December 8, 2016
I love the Star Wars series, so I new that I wanted to read Star Wars: A New Hope. I really liked this book because I feel like I knew what was going to happen. But overall, I couldn't wait to finish the book then start watching the movie several times after. :)
August 6, 2017
What can I say? If you loved the film and ever just wanted to see what a screenplay looked like, like me... then this is worth a read
October 10, 2017
It was a good book that I love and it was like the movies and was just as good. It was action packed and was good for a sci-fi book. It was a exciting and action packed. It was a very good plot. I would recommend it to anybody who wants to know more about star wars.
Read
December 18, 2018If you like Star Wars but also like shorter books, I recommend this book to you.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews