Original Leigh Brackett Script for Empire Strikes Back
Over at Script Shadow, a site that puts up new and old scripts for download, they recently did an “Alternative Draft Week.” They put up first and final drafts of a different movie each day, including the ultra-rare Empire Strikes Back script written by Leigh Brackett. I have no clue how they even got it, the script was previously only available at the Lucasfilm Archive and the library of Eastern New Mexico University. Both locations restricted the script to be copied or checked-out.
Brackett had previously written hundreds of sci-fi short stories and her screenwriting credits included the classic Raymond Chandler adaptations The Big Sleep and The Long Goodbye. Based on his story outline, Lucas asked Brackett to write the script. Shortly after turning it in, she passed away from cancer in March 1978. Lucas, however, did not like the script and discarded it completely. Then he wrote two drafts himself before turning it over to Lawrence Kasdan. Brackett got writing credits for the film, but the consensus is that Lucas attached her name out of respect for the work she did during her illness. What a guy.
Brackett’s script begins in a similar manner as the ESB we all know – Han and Luke are riding around on “snow-lizards” looking for signs of life on Hoth. But once Luke is assaulted by the Wampa, deviation is immediate. The Rebels are hiding out in an “ice castle.” The Wampas are super intelligent and attack the castle. Darth Vader lives in a castle complete with gargoyles that “cower” a whole lot. There’s no Battle of Hoth. Hoth is actually what Bespin is called. Yoda is named Minch, resembles a frog, and fights Obi-Wan. The bounty hunters are absent. Han’s stepdad “Ovan Marekel” is mentioned a lot. Vader is not the father, although Luke’s dad does make an *ahem* appearance.
It’s not that it’s a bad story, but ESB is so perfect that it’s impossible to imagine any of Brackett’s ideas being good. There are one or two things that I think would have fit in well for the final product, specifically landscape shots on the ice planet, but it’s just so different from the ESB that I kept laughing as I read.
The download has since been pulled from Script Shadow, but if anyone wants to get their hands on it, ask me nicely and I could email it to you.
March 27th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
please email it to me!
thesecrethandshake AT gmail dot com
March 27th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
I am a HUGE star wars fan and have been since i was 3 soooo pretty please with sugar and sex and tauntauns and cherries on top, could you email it to me?
March 28th, 2010 at 4:24 am
PLEASE hook me up! I’ll give you all the galactic credits I have!!!
Jarshy_@hotmail DOT com
of course replace teh “dot” and remove the space ;)
March 28th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
I’m hanging at home on a crappy day. I would love to read this, please and thanks!!
xian.ricca @ gmail com
March 28th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
Gimme gimme gimme.
March 28th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
Yes sir, may I please read more. ETHANAOWENS@GMAIL.COM
March 29th, 2010 at 3:39 am
Pretty please with sugar on the top, email me a copy @ wikan@live.com
March 29th, 2010 at 8:24 pm
Please please please, I would love to get my hands on this.
rollthebones11 @ optonline.net
April 5th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
Please send me a copy of the script. Thank You.
April 22nd, 2010 at 7:22 am
me too please :) have wanted to read it for ages!
April 29th, 2010 at 12:09 am
I have been looking for the script forever, if you could send me a copy and end my arduous quest I would be eternally grateful, plus I will give you an internet high five. You don’t even have to watch my elbow, internet high fives never miss the target.
April 29th, 2010 at 12:27 pm
Dude, as promised, internet high five!
May 3rd, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Could you please send me a copy? Me and a good friend waited 7 hours in line on 5/21/1980 opening night to see Empire and I would love to surprise him with a copy and read it myself this May 21 to celebrate the 30th Anniversary.
May 4th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
This sounds awesome! I’d really love to read it, if you could email it to me! ThomJWillis@Gmail.com
May 12th, 2010 at 5:40 am
Here’s the download link; no begging required: http://www.mypdfscripts.com/screenplays/star-wars-episode-v-%25e2%2580%2593-the-empire-strikes-back-leigh-brackett-draft
Mind you, nothing was in the script that had not been worked out by Lucas and Brackett in story conferences beforehand; that includes the appearance of the ghost of Luke’s father and Han’s “dad”, and, really, the basic events of the film stayed the same until the final draft.
Nothing much was changed in the plot throughline, really, until the final draft; the only MAJOR change was the addition of Vader’s reveal after his climactic battle with Luke. This revelation actually replaced ANOTHER revelation, one that was moved up to the original film back in ’76, when ol’ George had gotten antsy over the studio possibly not financing a sequel, and so Ben revealed that Vader had killed Luke’s father.
When it came time for the confrontation between Vader and Luke in the second film, however, Lucas found, to his dismay, that it did not hold enough dramatic weight — at least, not without the reveal that Lucas had roughly planned for. With no way to get his story complaints to Brackett (she died a little under a month after she turned her draft in, in March 1978), Lucas had to focus on the story himself.
While on vacation in Mexico, sometime in March 1978, he shut himself into his hotel room and forced himself to write… and, somehow, managed to come up with the revelation that not only would provide the appropriate amount of pathos to the film’s climax, but would also completely change the backstory and tone of the “Star Wars” films: That being, that Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker’s father were one and the same.
So, you see, if it hadn’t been for Brackett’s untimely death, “I am your father” would not exist.
May 16th, 2010 at 9:08 am
Wow, this is amazing. Where might one find this script?
May 17th, 2010 at 8:25 pm
Hi, cool site!
Been trying to find that Leigh script to EMPIRE STRIKE BACK but cant find it anywhere!
Can you help me?
My email is: arcvile@gmail.com
Thank you so much!
May 22nd, 2010 at 8:09 pm
With all the niceness I have ever had or ever will have, I request that a copy of the Bracket Empire script be sent to me.
Thank you now and forever.
September 10th, 2010 at 8:08 am
Couls I please have a copy e-mailed ..I was turned away from cinema as a kid to watch this film as it was too full when I went to see it with a friends family and my own family then refused to take me as they were all anti yank..huh I later found out my Father had been dumped by a previous girlfriend who then moved to America and her brother was my Mother’s boyfriend for a bit before he dumped her…oh the irony…Fortunatley my Aunty took me to see Return of the Jedi, so there is justice in the Galaxy!
November 11th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
Please email me a copy of the script, I will owe you big. kenl138@aol.com