The ESB we'll never see

Force Material: A Star Wars Podcast

On the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, we look back at Leigh Brackett's wild first draft of the film!
The Empire Strikes Back was the first Star Wars film for screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, who later returned for The Force Awakens and Solo. But before Kasdan came onboard, George Lucas hired the legendary Leigh Brackett (The Big Sleep, Rio Bravo, The Long Goodbye) to write the first draft of the film, which she completed just one month before she died of cancer in 1978.
This week, we discuss Brackett's draft of the film, which differs in some major ways from the film that made it to the screen.
Are you ready for an epic adventure with Clone Lando, Class Tourist Han Solo, Luke Skywalker's Ghost Dad, psychedelic battles on the astral plane, and an awkward dinner with Darth Vader? Then strap yourself in for Leigh Brackett's The Empire Strikes Back!
Force Material is a podcast exploring the secrets and source material of Star Wars with hosts Rohan Williams and Baz McAlister. Listen and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Stitcher, PlayerFM and Castro; stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and support the show by browsing our range of shirts, hoodies, kids apparel, mugs and more at TeePublic.