The Studio Demands It!

S7 EP10 | In 1977, virtually no one thought Star Wars was going to be a success. And yet, defying all logic, it was the biggest movie of all time. It is now 1978, and the studio is demanding a sequel, but George Lucas isn't coming back. It's up to the guys to forget everything they know about the franchise and craft a film based solely on details from the 1977 juggernaut.  


_____________
  • Another Zelda Podcast - Another Zelda Podcast is a show wherein we talk about all things Zelda! https://www.anotherzeldapodcast.com/
_____________
Find other great shows from Sixfive Media here: sixfive.media

The views, information, or opinions expressed during Another Pokemon Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Sixfive Media and its employees.

This has been a production of Sixfive Media.
COPYRIGHT 2024 SIXFIVE MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Thanks to our monthly supporters
  • Michael Carey
  • Everett
  • Shane Redding
  • Fionnegan Justus Murphy
  • MrEliMac

Creators and Guests

Host
Jim Burzelic
Host
T.C. De Witt

What is The Studio Demands It!?

Two screenwriters attempt to recreate, reimagine, or flat out fix, existing film franchises when 'the studio' demands...MORE FILMS! It's an exercise in creative thinking where they will challenge themselves to conceptualize, pitch, and craft a film based on the stipulations of a hypothetical Hollywood overlord. | Sixfive Media

T.C.:

Hello, and welcome to The Studio Demands It, a screenwriting series where we will conceptualize, pitch, and craft a film or show based on the demands from one of you listeners acting as a hypothetical Hollywood overlord. Overlord. As professional screenwriters ourselves and massive cinephiles, we talk movies all the time. Massive. Oh, and we'd like to believe that we could meet any demand thrown at us.

T.C.:

We will be your screenwriters for this episode. I am T. C. De Witt. And joining me, as always, is a man who needs no introduction.

Jim:

So what's the episode about today?

T.C.:

That that's that's you got me.

Jim:

You I

T.C.:

was trying to throw you Instead, you threw me off.

Jim:

I I duck seasoned you.

T.C.:

Oh, man. Good job, you. Duck seasoned me.

Jim:

I said it's rabbit season. Rabbit season you.

T.C.:

It's duck season.

Jim:

Fire. I

T.C.:

was trying to walk you into it. I know. I was trying to but you weren't gonna fall for that. Yeah. I love a good I love a good Looney Tunes gag.

T.C.:

Well, normally, we'd have some sort of riff off of whatever your middle name actually is. Mhmm. But today, you were just a man who need no needs no introduction. Do how how do you like to be introduced? If if you are like next to the stage or obviously, I know how you like to be introduced on this show, but if you were to to be introduced, how would you like to be introduced?

Jim:

I never thought about it. Yeah.

T.C.:

I don't know. Yeah. I pretty Kindly? Kind and now, Jim

Jim:

This rat bastard.

T.C.:

This son of a bitch. I have very frequently, I'm asked for a bio

Jim:

Mhmm.

T.C.:

Like, for projects and whatnot, And I just have one, like, a standby one that I just revise every now and then. And David, our godfather, asked me for one recently because he's he's doing some, production stuff for whatnot, and he, he's like, oh, do you have bio? And I gave it to him so quickly, and he was like, jeez. And he's like, yeah, man. You gotta be prepared.

T.C.:

You never know when you need to be introduced. So

Jim:

Yeah. I've written a couple. I'm I'm not really fond of any of the ones I've written. Yeah.

T.C.:

That's right. Well, just just tell everyone your middle names. It'll take them a few minutes to get through them all, but Jim. Let's enough of this time for let let's just get right into it because you you did ask what today's demand is. Well, those listening, you you need to know this.

T.C.:

Our our listeners give us demands, from their studios literally all over the world. And you listening right now, you can send us any demand you'd like, and we will have we will read it right now live on the air and have to meet that demand. And at the end of this episode, if we've done our jobs, we may and should and will have pitched an entire script or and story meeting or even exceeding those demands. So keep those demands coming because at the end of the season, the listeners green light one of these demands, and we do a fully produced table read that could very well be this episode. But today's demand comes from Harris, at Another Point of View Studios.

T.C.:

Okay. Actually, preface. So I wanted I want to do a Star Wars episode, and we had discussed not doing any more Star Wars episodes because of our because of droids. In episode 10, we kind of felt like, have we said everything we need to say about Star Wars?

Jim:

Maybe? Yeah. I think we've said a lot of what we want to say. I I don't I don't remember agreeing to never doing a Star Wars episode. Yeah.

Jim:

I thought I thought it was more we're not gonna put them in the finale anymore because

T.C.:

Because they never would. Okay.

Jim:

No one wants them.

T.C.:

Well, Jim, in 1977, beyond any expectations, a Buck Rogers Akira Kurosawa love letter made all the money and became a cultural phenomenon. Uh-huh. No one expected Star Wars to be a hit. In fact, George Lucas himself, twentieth Century Fox, and George's closest industry peers all assumed the '28 1977 movie would be a box office disaster. The studio had so little faith that it only released the film in 43 theaters when it initially was released.

T.C.:

And they were all oh, wait. Sorry. I shouldn't try to riff here. They were all of them wrong. But what if the faith was so low that was that intentional?

T.C.:

Was solo? What It was now. If the fill the faith in the film was so low that no deal was signed for a sequel with George Lucas' involvement, no matter the success. What if Fox maintained sole ownership? What if they had the freedom to bring in anyone to do whatever they want to follow-up the success they never believed would happen?

T.C.:

Well, guess what? It is 1978. My studio has brought you into the office to pitch to me and my fellow suits Star Wars II. There is only one Star Wars, and we all saw it. Now pitch us a second.

T.C.:

Jim, this is Uh-oh. A very hypothetical It is. Demand. And it's Thank you, Harris.

Jim:

This this is like a this is like this is a test of how well I recall

T.C.:

New Hope.

Jim:

New Hope. Yeah.

T.C.:

I think you mean Star Wars.

Jim:

You know what I mean.

T.C.:

Jim, a hypothetical Hollywood overlord has asked us to pitch a hypothetical Hollywood film, which is Star Wars two, which so 1978, it would probably probably be called that. Right? Yeah. Star Wars II. Called Star Wars II.

T.C.:

Mhmm. Okay. This is this is gonna be a big big we have essentially, what we have to work with here is what to avoid. Because we should just assume nothing that we have that we got could be what we get.

Jim:

Yeah. Well, base we've been called in to read this one movie Yes. And then make us or watch this one movie

T.C.:

Yeah.

Jim:

And then write a sequel. None of his radio plays, none of anything else George Lucas had Mhmm. In mind has happened. None of the toys came out.

T.C.:

Yeah. It's Nothing. Nothing. There's not all we have to go on is Star Wars, the the first one. We know Mhmm.

T.C.:

Luke, Han, Leia, we know they survived. Darth Vader survived because he's knocked into orbit.

Jim:

That's right. He spun he spun out. We don't see him get destroyed.

T.C.:

Yes.

Jim:

But the Death Star is gone.

T.C.:

Death Star is gone. And we know we've we've

Jim:

They've been given medals.

T.C.:

Yep. We know about Chewbacca's there as well. We know about the Clone Wars as name drops. We know about that.

Jim:

Mhmm. We know about Obi Wan Kenobi disappeared in his robe. Mhmm.

T.C.:

The the senate has been dismantled by the emperor, so we do know that there is an emperor somewhere out there.

Jim:

Was that actually said? Was emperor mentioned in the first one?

T.C.:

Yeah. The the emperor has has dismantled disbanded the senate. He now has full total control now of of everything. That's a terrible paraphrase, but yes. The emperor is Mhmm.

T.C.:

Is mentioned in the very first movie. Yeah. So now the the notion of watching Star Wars and rip and now creating our sequel that Okay. So

Jim:

Okay. Forget everything you know.

T.C.:

Forget everything you know about the largest franchise in the history of humanity and come up with a Star Wars II. So okay. So he's our he's our main character. Mhmm. He's he's the main character of the first one.

Jim:

And now he's a full pilot.

T.C.:

Yep. He's he's a he literally is the poster boy for blowing up the the Death Star.

Jim:

He's a

T.C.:

he's a he's a star. Rock star. People are gonna know who this man is. There's a good chance that he even becomes the literal poster boy for the rebellion. Join now.

T.C.:

You can too. That they would they would, in a in a sense, in a sort of to Captain America or Katniss from Hunger Games, use him as a recruitment tool. Yes.

Jim:

You're right. Where where where are you going with this?

T.C.:

I'm just I'm I'm stating information. Okay. I don't I'm not I have, like, an arc to go with this. I'm just thinking Luke is definitively our main character of that first movie, so it it makes sense that he would be the main character of the second one. And that Han and Leia, Chewbacca, r two d two and c three PO would would be involved as well.

Jim:

Okay. So what do we equate knowing this was supposed to be like, it's it's not a one for one simile for for the war. Right? The Death Star wasn't any one specific like, we're doing we're retelling the Bismarck Mhmm. Which is actually World War one.

Jim:

I'm mixing up my wars now.

T.C.:

We're talking about Star Wars.

Jim:

Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Base but I'm trying to use trying to give myself context for after a large strategic fortress or battleship or something is destroyed, how much of the war did that turn? Right?

Jim:

So very clearly, at the end of this movie, that like, the war we we were turning the tide. We took out their secret battleship. Mm-mm. Everyone's super happy. So were we not to write this movie, the insinuation is the rebellion goes on to defeat this emperor and his terrible army.

T.C.:

Right. The the closest approximation I can think of to attacking a major installation that turns the tide of the war is Pearl Harbor. I know that does not put our rebels in a good light, but

Jim:

That's why I was saying the Bismarck.

T.C.:

Okay. That's right. To to

Jim:

Because because, yes, you're right with with Pearl Harbor that happened, but the thing is Pearl Harbor wasn't an active military well, it was an active military base, but it it wasn't in a war actively hurting things.

T.C.:

Mhmm.

Jim:

The Death Star was it moved. It was it

T.C.:

was Yes.

Jim:

Tran it was moving around.

T.C.:

That's fair.

Jim:

That's fair. And it it then was attacking locations. Okay. So it's sort of like it literally was the Bismarck is a really close Mhmm. Approximation, because it was this unsinkable ship that was destroying the crap out of everyone.

Jim:

And they were literally hunting to to find the ship to to take it out, to turn the tide. And then when they finally did sink the Bismarck Mhmm. It it was a it was a huge win.

T.C.:

Great. Then that's definitely the the model we should use of, you know, sinking a Nazi u boat.

Jim:

Yeah. So to that end, from the bad guys' perspective, they just lost a major major asset. Mhmm. Your your general in Darth Vader comes back. Right?

Jim:

He's like, I failed. Mhmm. Well, that's not good. What what what would what would would an emperor have his general do? How would you redouble your efforts?

T.C.:

I I do believe we would see the emperor in this. I think the emperor Sure. Plays a role in this of of sitting on his

Jim:

Well, clearly, you rebuild the Bismarck. Right?

T.C.:

Make another one.

Jim:

I don't wanna just repeat the

T.C.:

He just jumped to Return of the Jedi. Yeah. Let let's yeah. I think the the emperor being angered and humiliated by this loss of a massive multi trillion dollar whatever it

Jim:

would have cost Yeah.

T.C.:

Weapon that was supposed to to to solidify that they will never lose. Like, this was a this is a huge dent. So

Jim:

It literally destroyed planets. Yeah.

T.C.:

This is a theory. There's there's fury here of

Jim:

Mhmm.

T.C.:

Like, we've lost this. So what you know, general or Darth Vader, what if you failed me? No. I I didn't fail you. Tarkin failed you.

T.C.:

He he did not have faith in the force like I did. If if he had trusted in the force, we we never would have fallen victim to, this. However, emperor, I can tell you the the the pilot, like and maybe it's not this in this conversation, but Darth Vader sensing the force, figuring out that this is the son of Anakin Skywalker, which Sure. Lore has it, as Obi Wan said, Darth Vader, a student of Obi Wan Kenobi, killed Obi Wan Kenobi's best friend and Luke's father, Anakin Skywalker.

Jim:

Mhmm.

T.C.:

I don't think they're the same man. I don't I I think that

Jim:

So we have hindsight. Sure. Darth Vader. Right? That that is very much like father.

Jim:

Right. So we don't have to read into that. We don't have to go down that path. I'm fine with not. But I just I wanna talk about that momentarily.

Jim:

How much was that a known like, were people, like was there anyone who was not surprised when he said he was his father?

T.C.:

Oh, yeah. It's one of the biggest cinematic reveals in history. And there's plenty of snobs out there. Who would

Jim:

say Vader, Darth Vader, father. Father.

T.C.:

Like, I knew all like, that's in one of my favorite movies, Pitch Perfect. She, even says that that she's like, yeah. Obviously. It's like, you know, that this does not count. You have decades of information through pop culture.

T.C.:

Luke, I am your father. The the misquoted line is one of the most famous cinematic lines ever. The the the question is, was, was it intentionally chosen? Yeah. No.

T.C.:

It wasn't. Darth Vader was not originally intended to be Luke's father. The early scripts and treatments, show Anakin Skywalker and Vader as completely separate characters when it was the, the the the wills, like the original like, obviously, the script went through many, many changes. But the the revelation was an idea of George Lucas' that he developed while making and writing while writing Empire Strikes Back. So Okay.

T.C.:

No. Anakin Skywalker is not Darth Vader in the original presentation

Jim:

of this film. I just wanna make sure I I'm not putting on blinders to to to

T.C.:

An obvious thing. Yeah.

Jim:

Happen or not happen. Yeah. Great. That's that's great. Then we won't do that.

T.C.:

Yeah. Like, Lucas himself has even said he he just liked how the name sounded, and and he derived he literally derived it from dark water was, like, his where he developed it from. That said, having the the revelation of the villains of the emperor or Vader himself saying, like, if Vader has taken an interest in this force, this ancient religion that no one knows about and doesn't believe in, the force, come on. That's an ancient religion. Mhmm.

T.C.:

They mock Vader for this. This is not twenty four years ago retroactively, you know, talking prequels or whatnot. This is an ancient thing that very few people believe in, let alone still follow and worship. So Vader sensed a great strength of the force in this pilot, the pilot who blew up the Death Star.

Jim:

Yeah. He Well, I mean, there's a lot of reasons for him to to come to these conclusions. He's traveled around with with Obi Wan Kenobi.

T.C.:

Mhmm. Who he does know. Yes. Yeah. Yeah.

Jim:

Why is this kid with Obi Wan Kenobi? No. There there's something going on here.

T.C.:

Yeah. Yeah. So there there's an opportunity here that in this story that Vader's interest in in Luke Skywalker is built

Jim:

upon To this to another story that isn't out yet at the time of us doing this, just to to to give sort of a model through line. Mhmm. Harry Potter. Right? Harry Potter, his dad Mhmm.

Jim:

Killed by Voldemort. Yes. That's all laid out very clearly in in the beginning of of that story. Basically, I'm I'm equating the same here. It's it's not that Voldemort ended up being Harry's dad

T.C.:

God no. Yeah.

Jim:

Because we met James Potter Mhmm. Sort of. But that that's that's sort of what's happening here is is Arrival's kid Mhmm. Is now, like, oh, well, I gotta take care of him. Yeah.

T.C.:

We have we have some other lore to work with.

Jim:

Okay.

T.C.:

Obi Wan was still communicating with Luke after his death.

Jim:

Yeah. Because he became more powerful Yeah. Than than you can imagine. Yes. So he's communicating with him after his death.

Jim:

No force ghost. Right?

T.C.:

Well, that's a good decision. There's no force ghost in

Jim:

Right. Yeah. In new. Because my my thought actually was Obi Wan would reappear. I I'm unfortunately, I'm gonna keep referencing movies that haven't come out as

T.C.:

of this time I've hey. That's okay. It's okay.

Jim:

He's gonna come back similar to Gandalf.

T.C.:

Okay. Is the is

Jim:

the Unless we wanna work in things like did Alec Guinness do we wanna take those things into account? Did Alec Guinness Alec Guinness was still alive. Yes. Would he have wanted to do a second one?

T.C.:

I guess

Jim:

he did show up to be a force ghost.

T.C.:

That's right. You pay him, he'll be there.

Jim:

Okay.

T.C.:

Do okay. Are you suggesting that the Ben Kenobi because Owen says, I think he's dead. Is is the Obi Wan Kenobi we meet right from the beginning already some sort of force entity that he's not actually physically tangible? That him getting struck down, it's already a trick in his bag that he can fully manifest himself again? Like, is he already won with the force when we when we met him in New Hope?

Jim:

Oh, that wasn't no. I I was I was thinking more because he wasn't struck down, he disappeared. Yes. Right? That that's why Darth Vader had to stomp on his cloak.

Jim:

Where did he go? I I hadn't like teleporting is one of his powers?

T.C.:

No. That he literally just disperses into living force energy and then can recombobulate himself. Maybe? I I'm thinking that if that Obi Wan coming back and training Luke is okay. Well, we're jumping all over the place here.

T.C.:

Here we are. If if Obi Wan has recombobulated as a force ghost, as some sort of he's tangible again, but that he can train Luke Skywalker to become you're gonna I'm gonna train you, and you're gonna be a Jedi knight. That's what he that's what he said. You must come with me, and I'll train you in the ways of the force. He's gonna do that.

T.C.:

So that if in this movie, Luke gets to fight Vader, he's you know, oddly enough, that is what happens if we if we think about the movie that isn't being made. He has to learn how to fight Vader and fight him in whatever that second movie was gonna be. You know what mean? Like, it it seems to me, logically, you would come to that conclusion that Luke would still be trained so that he could face the man who killed his father. Sure.

T.C.:

Do we still I I I hate to be if that's derivative and boring and we're not we're not expanding our minds enough to go to a new place, it does seem like the information is there that that Luke would wanna face the man who killed his dad. I

Jim:

forget what's just in Star Wars and not Return of the Jedi.

T.C.:

Don't worry. I I can answer it.

Jim:

Oh, no. But I'm gonna feel like a fool if I say anything out loud. So yeah. So Luca has not gone off Yeah. To train.

T.C.:

No judgment. Star Wars fans aren't judgy, Jim. They're not gonna come after you for

Jim:

No. Not at all. They're very accepting.

T.C.:

Okay. So you

Jim:

They love new ideas too. Your

T.C.:

question. Go ahead.

Jim:

I I just I'm just I just wanna clarify. So so he meets Obi Wan. They get off planet. So there there's there's no Jedi training. He has no Jedi stuff at all.

T.C.:

Yeah. The the most he was given

Jim:

What the hell did

T.C.:

he do that whole movie? What? Obi Wan? No. Luke Skywalker.

T.C.:

He the the most training he gets is when he's got the visor on a

Jim:

Yeah.

T.C.:

It's too And and, you know, close your eyes. Feel feel it in the force. I really did feel something when you were talking. Like, he he does get just that tiny bit of it's a fantasy movie. It's just that tiny little bit of the wizard showing the magic Yeah.

T.C.:

And feeling the magic within him. And trusting in that magic is how he's able to blow up the Death Star. He tapped into the force. He truly let himself embrace Mhmm. The magic that allowed him to shoot two blasts into a tiny little exhaust port that created the chain reaction.

T.C.:

He needs more training, but he's already opened his mind to that training.

Jim:

Okay.

T.C.:

If okay. To to back up, I'll let you brainstorm over there. Yeah. We are sometime after the events of the Death Star blowing up. Months Yeah.

T.C.:

A year, I don't know. Enough time that it's probably worth seeing Darth Vader show up and get reprimanded for failing. If we choose to do that, it's not that much time then. Weeks? Months?

T.C.:

Yeah. And so Luke being Luke and Han and I mean, I think Han getting a medal and Chewbacca getting a medal is sort of like okay. Whatever. It's the fantasy world of it. They're honored for the their their heroism.

T.C.:

Mhmm. Hero heroism. But I think Luke being this okay. We we I wanna keep fighting. Great.

T.C.:

But we also need to do these these appearances now.

Jim:

I don't I I know you brought that up. I don't know if I like the the whole appearances poster poster boy thing.

T.C.:

Great. That's fine. Luke just want but at least upgrading him into a position of he's now in charge of Rogue Squadron?

Jim:

He's yeah. He's def he's a team leader.

T.C.:

Yeah. I think upping Wedge Antilles as a character then is worth because he survives the Death Star. Supporting character in the story is Wedge Antilles. And the two of them Yeah. Are leading Red Squadron.

T.C.:

Mhmm. And it's we took out their biggest military installation. Let's keep let's keep pushing. We're we're gonna reclaim territory. Is that the military That

Jim:

that would be that would be their the the rebellion's goal. Yeah. That's what they would they would be attempting. Mhmm. The the emperor with the empire, they're not gonna be for that.

Jim:

So there's gonna be a a sort of a redoubling against. Yeah. So if anything, the war is gonna become even crazier. Right? More more more battles.

T.C.:

Mhmm. So if Luke is out there trying to proceed with the war, leading this war effort, being involved in whatever battle of the bulge Mhmm. If Vietnam was the original counterpart of this, we but he was drawn by the dogfights of World War two. I think we keep imposing some World War twoisms on here. But just reclaiming territory, pushing against the front line to to try to get some planets back, to try to build a stronger, bigger rebellion against the the juggernaut that is the empire.

T.C.:

That's all well and good militarily as a story, but also him training as a Jedi. He's trying to balance his fighter pilot life with his sword fighting life. Sure. And in preparation for let's say this. Sorry.

T.C.:

I'm I'm gonna keep throwing ideas out here. If the movie itself is is pushing itself towards the next big this is the next big attack. If we can hit the capital, if we can go if we can take this fight to the emperor's castle gates, That's the goal here. We've we've gained ground. We've gained support.

T.C.:

More people every day are turning to the side of the rebellion to fight these fascists. Mhmm. Our by our destination, our goal, the thing we're building towards in this movie is the is the is the front gates of the castle. Yeah. Boom.

T.C.:

Also, from a personal standpoint, Obi Wan, if I don't know if we ever decided if he's manifested into physical space or not, but he said, if he's saying, you are preparing for this this moment, this attack, this battle, you also need to prepare for your battle. You will see Vader. You will meet the man who killed your father. You have to face him. You need to be ready.

T.C.:

So then we have a very personal thing for Luke. He's training to face Vader.

Jim:

Is a Yoda figure something that shows up? I think we

T.C.:

have Obi for that. We don't need a Yoda figure.

Jim:

Oh, I think only if he actually shows back up.

T.C.:

Yeah. I I think Obi Wan should show back up. Force ghosted. He's back. Like Obi Wan is training Luke.

Jim:

Okay.

T.C.:

And we could even create a little bit of of Luke can hear him and see him, but no one else can.

Jim:

So Oh. Oh. I don't know if I I No. I just I I oh, I I figured like, literally, Gandalf the White. I Okay.

Jim:

I figure he shows back. He's gone through a transformation. Like, he didn't just pop away and, like, like, I I can I can pop around? I can teleport. Right.

Jim:

But he also didn't die in that moment. Unless you think he well, no. I mean, he did. He he but he metaphorically died because of the force, though. He's a part of the living force.

Jim:

The force brought him back to life.

T.C.:

I think that's a great idea. And and considering that Lord of the Rings came out in the thirties and forties

Jim:

Mhmm.

T.C.:

Why not, like, come straight up Gandalf the White? Absolutely. Like, he has he has returned more powerful. Powerful.

Jim:

Mhmm.

T.C.:

I think that's great that he that, Luke could even say at some point, you should fight him again. You're you're more powerful. And Obi Wan can say it's not my destiny that

Jim:

I I I'm Dumbledore. I need you to do it, Harry.

T.C.:

Yeah. That's, that sounds like something worth ripping off later in a few decades from now. Yeah. That's, yeah. Obi Wan is back.

T.C.:

He's stronger than ever. He's wearing a white robe Yep. And he's training Luke

Jim:

in Actually, he probably should be. Because the brown robe was what he wore in the desert.

T.C.:

In the desert.

Jim:

And he's also ascended to the next level. Yeah. And he is the reverse of Darth Vader who

T.C.:

is Yes. Who is dark, who wears who wears black. And you can take this opportunity to say how dumb it is that, everyone looks like Obi Wan Kenobi.

Jim:

Yes. They've how they flanderized They flanderized Jedi?

T.C.:

Yeah. That every Jedi. Before the

Jim:

term flanderization was a thing.

T.C.:

It's a perfect thing to rip off if you only a decade from now.

Jim:

Yeah. Yeah.

T.C.:

Yeesh. Yeah. That is only a decade from now that anyway. Yeah. Obi Wan's wearing a white robe.

T.C.:

That's great.

Jim:

Yeah.

T.C.:

Like, he's he's he's training Luke as a Jedi knight. And Mhmm. And Vader Vader wants this confrontation to look at the other side of the coin. Is he becoming myopically focused on finding Luke Skywalker?

Jim:

Yes. I I think to the detriment of his duties. Mhmm. Like, the emperor scolds him, but sends him back out into the field. He he wants them he wants he wants all those rebels dead.

T.C.:

Yes.

Jim:

Dead. Dead. Dead. I think the emperor we meet is I I think he should be like he should be this this dude who sits on this big throne in this opulent room with all of these servants all around Uh-huh. And just just kinda demands things.

T.C.:

Yeah. He's never fought a day in his life. I maybe. Okay.

Jim:

But it it's not that he is he is spoiled, but it's it's not that he's spoiled to the end of, yes. Make make the war happen because I want he's but he's he's CEO esque. Right? Like Yeah. I don't care what it takes to get done.

Jim:

I don't wanna hear your excuses.

T.C.:

I think he has, like, a powerful voice. Like, he's a true powerful speaker. Like, you can almost understand why people fell in line and followed this guy.

Jim:

Yeah. And I I I don't think he should rip into Darth Vader wholly like like like he would any other underling Mhmm. Because I think Darth Vader is also his high priest. Sure. Right?

Jim:

He because Darth Vader very clearly can control the force, and there's a reason he is given the high position he is Mhmm. He has and can walk amongst generals and choke them out.

T.C.:

Yeah. And not be punished for it.

Jim:

Yeah. So he he very much not necessarily Jafar where he is the power behind the throne.

T.C.:

Mhmm. He's subservient to the emperor.

Jim:

He Oh, but actually, no. Maybe maybe a little bit, like like a little bit Rasputin. But

T.C.:

Okay.

Jim:

But but but, yes, he knows how to pull at the emperor's strings. When the emperor says he wants things done, he can go, yes, my lord. However, what about this?

T.C.:

Yes. Don't you dare try to use one of your Jedi tricks on me.

Jim:

Never, sir. Never.

T.C.:

Only for you. What do what do you

Jim:

think of like, I'm I I don't know if I'm pinpointing what his sort of his capabilities and position.

T.C.:

He just happens to have the latitude to screw up and not get killed for it. Yeah. And the emperor's like, you're lucky you are so powerful of a weapon.

Jim:

When and where does Tarkin die?

T.C.:

Tarkin dies on the Death Star. He blew he blew up.

Jim:

Why did I think he was on a Star Destroyer?

T.C.:

He was on the because he's like, sir, should we get to the escape pods? The moment of our glory. Okay. Yeah.

Jim:

Okay. Yeah. Then that that's actually perfect. He he totally blames it on Tarkin. Yeah.

T.C.:

Yeah. Yeah. So definitely that was Tarkin's fault. Uh-huh. Now so Vader you know, get out there and kill some rebels.

T.C.:

Don't let them take my territory. Like, my my ultimate weapon is gone, but my ultimate soldier is still here. Do your job.

Jim:

Yeah. And, what do you think about this? What do you think about Darth Vader having underlings?

T.C.:

Yes. I do think we need to expand our villain roster for this movie. Okay. And and having like, not that the first one had a huge roster of villains. It didn't.

T.C.:

Tarkin and Vader are the villains and then a bunch of stormtroopers. And we can have a whole slew of stormtroopers in this. Mhmm. Even even going so far as creating some variants if we wanted to because we do see, the the pilots look different than the white stormtrooper outfits Mhmm. And the weird big helmet guys.

T.C.:

Giving Vader a are you thinking some sort of team

Jim:

or some sort of some more some more darts. Oh. Yeah. Well, I'll if you're liking that, that's fine. But really, at the very least, I think bringing the bounty hunters back.

T.C.:

Instead of this ragtag group of bounty hunters, let's see if we can mash those two ideas ideas together that he has his to borrow from a movie that's not gonna be made for a very long time from now, like the Knights of Ren, where it's it's these it's his super troopers, like his his his hand selected, soldiers.

Jim:

Yes. Four of them. I don't know why I picked that number. I just picked that number.

T.C.:

Yeah.

Jim:

And they all they they he calls he calls them Mhmm. To to to sort of give the plan, but they're not, like, totally subservient. And maybe even in those private meeting meetings, they kinda talk back to them because they're they're they're not really lesser. They're not totally lessors.

T.C.:

Yes.

Jim:

They're kind of equals. They're like, uh-uh, can't manage can't manage your own ship, Vader.

T.C.:

Yeah. Yeah. They they they they can mouth off to him because these are his his bros. This is his a team. Yeah.

Jim:

Yeah. Yeah.

T.C.:

I like that that that he has and four is not a bad number.

Jim:

And he and he could say some like, one of his he ignores it, and he says the Skywalker bloodline lives, something like that. Okay. Because right, Sith hasn't been invented yet. Right?

T.C.:

Well, split hairs on that, but in the movies, no.

Jim:

Okay.

T.C.:

The notion of Sith did exist in the original script, but it's not in the in the final version. So we don't we

Jim:

Well, the dark side definitely exists, but the term doesn't exist.

T.C.:

I know. Sith didn't come into popularity till even after Timothy Zahn's books. Okay.

Jim:

That that's fine. But these are totally dudes who are on the dark side. They also study the Force Mhmm. And have Force stuff. Mhmm.

Jim:

So they can have a scene where Darth Vader is explaining, like, I ran into Obi Wan Kenobi. And bay basically, we get our we get our samurai we get our samurai gangs

T.C.:

Yeah.

Jim:

Going, or at least this gang here. And so now these dudes, they're gonna be set out like, oh, okay. Let's go get Obi Wan and this and this Skywalker kid.

T.C.:

Mhmm. The son of the son of Anakin Skywalker, Link.

Jim:

And my inclination, which I think is wrong, would be, and we'll set up some guys on on the light side. Obi wan will be like, I'm calling my bros. No. I think I think that's the wrong idea. It's just Obi wan.

Jim:

It it's just this old samurai With his his and son his yeah.

T.C.:

Yes. Yeah. Yeah. I love that. And, like, having having these four dark side agents of Vader

Jim:

And and who are they? Where have they been? They're also in the emperor's army. They're they've been off in in other galaxies. They've been off in other stars campaigns.

Jim:

Yeah. Doing their thing, and Darth Vader has called them in for Mhmm.

T.C.:

For this. Even going so far What's

Jim:

what's so important to pull me away from the the globulacs

T.C.:

nebula? The globulex can wait the son of Anakin Skywalker blew up the Death Star. Yeah. Yeah. Heard about that.

T.C.:

Yeah. Given these guys yeah. And to go to what the first movie gives us is a a canteen of full of weirdos, like, letting these guys be I'm not saying they all need to be aliens. I think one of them should be alien so that we can have because Luke does have his ragtag team. We've got Han and Chewy and and Leia and r two d two and c three p o.

T.C.:

We'll get to them. But giving going so far as one of these dark force users or dark side guys could be a Wookiee. Like, having a second Wookiee, easy thing would be to imprint the elements onto them in some capacity, not not like exactly water, earth, fire, and air.

Jim:

But rather obliquely do the four horsemen.

T.C.:

Okay. That's better. Yeah. Yeah. I like that.

T.C.:

That's good.

Jim:

Although, maybe five because Darth Vader should probably be deaf.

T.C.:

Yeah. That's fine. But he well, whatever the case. Yeah. His let's stick with four.

T.C.:

Let's stick with four. That he has his his horsemen.

Jim:

What what I'm saying is he has four horsemen, who is he? If Death is one of his followers never mind.

T.C.:

I I take your point. The the numbers get weird. Yeah. I I say stick with four. That's good.

T.C.:

Okay. And he and so is he lets the five of us go out and try to find find Luke?

Jim:

Do you think it'd be better if he sends them?

T.C.:

Bring him to me?

Jim:

Something like that.

T.C.:

Kill him or bring him to me. Whatever whatever you at your discretion. The bloodline must

Jim:

We we need to go beat the bushes and and drive Obi Wan out.

T.C.:

Mhmm. And his that will that will

Jim:

lead us to the pup.

T.C.:

Yeah. And his student. Let's get that. Okay. Yeah.

T.C.:

Let's let's have him send him out. But you do then give us a situation of will Luke not face Vader in this? Which is okay, but Well,

Jim:

I don't know if the precedent for trilogies exists yet. I think that's sort of what this does.

T.C.:

Yeah.

Jim:

We should be writing to write a complete movie. We don't know if we'll get a third. Likely Sure. Won't Yes. Because that first movie didn't do so well.

Jim:

We want to write a great movie. But we're not franchising here.

T.C.:

I think It's not like we're Spielberg. I think he sends them out to find Luke and kill him or at least at least tell me when you find him. And then then while Luke faces off against these four and wins, Vader shows up, and then they have their confrontation. If if there's if the trials of Luke Skywalker are facing these guys one by one or facing them two by two or what have you, he's got a he's got a a finite number of threats he has to beat in order to survive, and then Vader is the final threat he has to face.

Jim:

I don't know I don't know if Luke Skywalker faces all of these guys. I think Obi Wan is is gonna be fighting.

T.C.:

Yes. Whatever the case. Yes. Yes. It's not Luke facing them, but it is these are the things that the obstacles.

T.C.:

So wherever our final confrontation takes place, it gives us a two front finale, whatever our heroes are doing.

Jim:

I think based on what we've said, the final confrontation is in the emperor's room.

T.C.:

Yeah. Or at least

Jim:

Right. Because you said the the battle is to take it to the throne room Mhmm. Or take it to the palace.

T.C.:

Yes. I think the palace is where the, that that fight is. Let's okay. Wow. We're jumping all the way to the end here.

T.C.:

The attack

Jim:

on Just the knowing where our arc is

T.C.:

gonna go. I just wanna talk about it because I Yeah. Yeah. I have the notion of if the final battle of the rebels against the empire is on the is on the front gates of the emperor's palace, the homeworld, whatever that might be, because we don't have a name for it, that the emperor sits in his chamber. And and as the battle works its way through, Luke gets there to face the emperor, and the emperor actually finally rises from his throne and pulls out a freaking lightsaber and is gonna fight Luke.

T.C.:

And Vader steps in and more or less bats the emperor's side and says, no. This is my this is mine. How you can't take this from me. That, that Vader essentially is so bloodthirsty for revenge.

Jim:

I wanna float an idea. Okay. If Obi Wan is at Luke's side kind of the whole time Mhmm. Helping him out, stuff like that, what if that goes go all the way to the throne room and Darth Vader steps forward and says and the third act might be too late for the revealing. As you have your own student, Obi Wan, I have mine.

Jim:

And that's when the emperor stands up. Oh. And so Luke has to duel the emperor while Darth Vader duels Obi Wan again.

T.C.:

That's interest. That's it.

Jim:

And Yeah. And that fight, for example, Darth Vader versus Obi Wan, Darth Vader says, I won't make the same mistake twice. I and and he has some new thing where he's not just trying to hit him with his sword anymore. He's, like, he's actually trying to capture him somehow.

T.C.:

Okay. I like that. And and letting go of what we know, I mean, Luke is still gonna want vengeance for his father's death. So however this so Luke versus this emperor, who by all accounts could be a could be a 30 year old man, like a a younger man.

Jim:

Well, right, the initial we you would think, well, let's look to despots. Let's let's look to what emperors look like and behave like the the last one we really know of is Hitler. Mhmm. He fights Hitler. Luke Luke Skywalker versus Hitler.

Jim:

Is that is

T.C.:

that the way to go? Is that Luke?

Jim:

But he he's he's a man in his in his forties or thirties. Yeah. But we don't have to that we could go younger. We could say he's almost an Alexander the Great type. Mhmm.

Jim:

He's he's very young, and because of the resource as as he when he came into the throne, and maybe we could find out he's the inverse of Luke Skywalker. Maybe he killed his father to get the throne. Mhmm.

T.C.:

He is

Jim:

he is ambitious.

T.C.:

Yeah. Yeah. That's epic.

Jim:

And thus, that that is so the the trainee he's getting from Vader is, like, he's he's the reverse Luke Skywalker.

T.C.:

Mhmm.

Jim:

He's the he's the Sky Luke Walker. The the walk Luke Skyer?

T.C.:

My nose is bleeding. What did you do? Yeah.

Jim:

I I I ran out of steam. I had a couple

T.C.:

of things. I forgot them. Okay. Trent okay. Let's let's look at what we have here is having Vader have his horsemen to send after Luke and Obi Wan and having the four of them defeated and also getting us to this big final battle at the castle Mhmm.

T.C.:

The palace, and coming down to a battle between is that too much action? Is that too many fights? Like, this the first movie was a success. They're gonna give us a bigger budget to think, like, producer producer brain for a moment here. Is that too much, to to contain within an under two hour movie?

T.C.:

That that many fights, that many that many antagonists to get through, to get to that final confrontation, to also then reveal that the emperor can fight as well. I do like your notion that he's the inverse of of Luke, that he's someone who killed his father and whatnot. Is is that too much is my my worry here?

Jim:

The only reason reason I my reasoning for not thinking so is I'm thinking about westerns. Yes. And the bad guy will often have a posse. Uh-huh. And that's all we've done for Vader is we've given him a posse.

Jim:

Mhmm. Even even giving fifteen minutes to each of these guy each of these guys encounter, like like, their their their chapters and set pieces, that's Mhmm.

T.C.:

What, an hour? I mean, if we give them five minutes, it'll pop.

Jim:

Basically, I'm thinking, like, the fir the the first guy, they they all they all leave Vader, just sort of sort of super broad strokes here.

T.C.:

Mhmm.

Jim:

They they leave Vader, they go out doing their plan, and the first one kinda because they're all attacking where they think rebels are staying and and and stuff like that, One guy looks upon it and actually, in in beating the bushes and in in hunting out rebels, does find Obi Wan and Luke staying there. They have an encounter, however their special fight goes, in in whatever cool way, they defeat him. But their position is compromised, they now have to run. Mhmm. And they're so now they're out.

Jim:

But the thing is they're also fighting a war. So it's not just six people trying to hide. Right. But nevertheless, the signal like, I found Luke Skywalker, he's at so and so, has gone out. Two other guys two two the next two guys are working together.

Jim:

They show up and we get a pseudo space battle. One of them boards a a big old a big old ship, probably a Corellian Corvette Yep. Right, that Obi Wan is staying on because he's not gonna be in the x wing with Luke Uh-huh. Or or or another ship. Is there corvettes that that launch x x wings?

T.C.:

Oh, no. No. No. Corvettes are gonna be like what?

Jim:

Were are there any ships that actually carried fighters on them? No. Fighters they just launched from planet from the planet?

T.C.:

Yes. At least in I'm going off first movie information. Sure.

Jim:

Yeah. They

T.C.:

they launched from the base.

Jim:

Aircraft carrier.

T.C.:

Yeah. They launched from the base. They didn't have an aircraft carrier. It doesn't say we can't have one. Like, we have we have the we can make up our own

Jim:

lore I'm I'm imagining something like that. Mhmm. I'm imagining a ship that for them to go do operations elsewhere, not just defend, to actually attack other places Yeah. They're gonna need to to take their their stuff there.

T.C.:

Mhmm.

Jim:

So Obi Wan is on this ship as Luke is out fighting the aerial battle.

T.C.:

Got

Jim:

it. One of our guys goes on the ship to wreak havoc there and Obi Wan has to deal with him. Meanwhile, the other guy is in his own ship now dogfighting

T.C.:

With Luke. With Luke. Got it.

Jim:

So that's sort of happening at the same time. Ideally, we have the two fights affect each other.

T.C.:

Mhmm.

Jim:

And then those two guys are defeated.

T.C.:

Right. Great.

Jim:

And I'm not sure what to do with the fourth guy, so maybe there isn't a fourth guy, or the fourth guy lures them out somehow, or maybe he holds back and he is there with Vader.

T.C.:

Let's put him at the front gate that he's he's sitting there just eating. He's like munching on some

Jim:

shell Space apple?

T.C.:

Some yeah. Space apple, like a real jerk. And then he steps down and gets his cloak off and he's like like just super cocky, like, I don't know. Let's do this. And they make quick work of him.

T.C.:

Or Han Solo just blasts him and says, we don't have time for this.

Jim:

Beat beat Indiana Jones to the punch?

T.C.:

Yep. So then we we beat the fourth easily, like, in in a quick scuffle in the midst of the the the that big attack on the on the final location so that when they get inside, that's where Vader's waiting for waiting have been waiting for you. I won't make the same mistake twice. Obi Wan, I'll this time, you'll stay dead, and I'll handle you next. Your student son of Skywalker, you're next.

T.C.:

I I'm I'm starting to not I'm starting to think maybe we don't.

Jim:

You don't like it?

T.C.:

No. No. I I like where we're going. I think taking the emperor letting the emperor just be sitting on that throne and being a

Jim:

Okay.

T.C.:

Being a mouth and not an actual aggressive.

Jim:

That's fine.

T.C.:

So then Vader can fight Obi

Jim:

Wan. Protect me, Vader.

T.C.:

Yeah. He can fight Luke and Obi Wan at the same time. Like, fight the two of them at once and have ourselves a a a two two on one samurai battle.

Jim:

Okay. Then then he doesn't should he kill Obi Wan?

T.C.:

The risk of that is Theoretically, that happened already last time. Seen it happen.

Jim:

Unless whatever hit so my my notion, I think Obi Wan needs to be sidelined. Yes. So

T.C.:

that it becomes yes. Down to So that

Jim:

So so whatever his new trick is, like a force net or something, he he, like, gets Obi Wan and and

T.C.:

okay, the I'm gonna suggest this as Luke and Obi Wan versus Vader in the Throne room. They're fighting him. Vader's holding his own. He's you know, he makes the threat. I won't make the same mistake twice.

T.C.:

He gets he's doing well against these two. He gets just enough up on Obi Wan that Obi Wan keeps him distance, and he he force holds him in place. Like, literally, like, Obi Wan is, like Oh, okay. Shaking. He freezes up.

T.C.:

He's, like, like, you can see him for the first time in the whole movie, like, straining and almost in pain, and Vader's just holding him with one hand and still fighting Luke with the other hand. So Luke is, like, trying to hammer on this guy, and Vader is talented enough that he is holding Obi Wan in place and and and actually fighting Luke with one hand. Like, practically one hand tied behind his back. So so, I I mean, that's that's a setup. I don't know what the how to pay that all off, but at least it literally sidelines Obi Wan painfully.

T.C.:

Like, I've been training too. You you think I would be prepared for this? Yeah. What do think of that as far as

Jim:

the It's a neat idea. I'd like, I think I think it'd be quite literally, it would it would harken back to what he did in

T.C.:

the first movie. He's he lifts and for and is force choking. Choking someone. Right? And Obi Wan's trying to fight back.

Jim:

Yeah. So so, yeah, he's just hanging there choking.

T.C.:

He's trying to use his own force to, like, to stave off the the the his neck getting broken.

Jim:

Mhmm.

T.C.:

And Luke is just going after Vader, and he's just he isn't even looking at this kid. He's just like,

Jim:

did you That again, it's the seventies. Thinking about how staging that, we we could do it. I feel like filmmaking wise, it would be way easier to just have him do a power that either paralyzes or holds Obi Wan so that he can pay attention to Luke.

T.C.:

Let's like, we'll make a beat of that. Like, if he holds off if he's holding Obi Wan for a moment for a minute Yeah. And fighting Luke one handed, we get that cool moment, and then he finally, like, suffocates Obi Wan, so he flaps to the ground.

Jim:

Yeah. There you go.

T.C.:

So now he's out of pain. It's like And we don't

Jim:

know if he's alive or dead.

T.C.:

Yes. Yes. We don't know if he's alive. And he finally turns to Luke, and he goes, now you have my full attention. And then it's, woah.

T.C.:

Boom. And then

Jim:

Something like that.

T.C.:

We get a full samurai sword fight, like Akira Kurosawa to the nth degree, actually watching them move around the throne room and says outside the battle is occurring. We're gonna get to these other characters after the break.

Jim:

I think I I wanna steal what Rian Johnson stole. The I think the palace is burning down around them.

T.C.:

Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And the emperor is just observing?

Jim:

I think the emperor's run off.

T.C.:

Okay. I like that better than than the imagery of him sticking there like that.

Jim:

But

T.C.:

we're definitely gonna have to go back to the beginning of this and go through all the other characters. But how since we're here

Jim:

Mhmm.

T.C.:

Does Luke kill Vader? I think so. I think so too. I think that this is a this is a hard fought win.

Jim:

When you had said it earlier, and I'm like, okay. He has to get his vengeance for the father he never knew. Yeah. Like that feels so like I was like, well then maybe it should be a story of how vengeance vengeance won't heal anything. But no, I I think I think with what we what we built here

T.C.:

Mhmm.

Jim:

He be because at this point, it the the vengeance for his father, it's actually vengeance vengeance and to protect his his adopted father His father. Yeah. His father. Sifu, his master.

T.C.:

Yes. So Luke is going to kill Darth Vader. Going to dispatch him.

Jim:

And he just does it through beginner's law.

T.C.:

No. He's been training this whole movie. It's been months of training.

Jim:

To be better than a master samurai?

T.C.:

Well, there has to be something to that then. Like, how could how could this kid who well, I mean, within this story

Jim:

We have to go back to the lessons he's learned from o from Obi Wan. Listen listen to the force. Yes. Listen to the force.

T.C.:

Let let the light flow through you. Let your in in fact, I'm gonna suggest it. I'm not saying we go here. Hearing his father within the force guiding him as well, like, the the echoes of other Jedi that have come before. We can spend the lessons through this movie of Obi Wan building history of Anakin Skywalker and the Jedi lore.

Jim:

I don't know how much I like that.

T.C.:

Okay. That's fine. I mean, that touches on what they tried to do in episode nine. Sorry. I just remembered episode nine.

T.C.:

And but just the taking Obi Wan's lessons to let the force guide him

Jim:

Yeah.

T.C.:

And and trust in in the light Mhmm. So that it's not being guide like, his fighting isn't being guided by it's essentially the lesson he learns in Return of the Jedi anyway, which is vengeance and all that and darkness is never gonna that can't answer the answer.

Jim:

Like like, maybe to the to the end that like, it's almost like he's doing blind fighting where right? Because he he trained Yeah.

T.C.:

Yeah. Call him back to that. Great.

Jim:

To to do blind fighting. So, like, he closes his eyes and he's letting the force guide him. And we see maybe even in slow motion, like, he he turns, invader's saber misses him. And Yeah. This this happens over and over to the to the point that Vader impales himself

T.C.:

Mhmm.

Jim:

On Luke Skywalker's saber rather than because Luke is so one with the force, he's not trying to force anything

T.C.:

Mhmm.

Jim:

Whereas Darth Vader is trying to use it

T.C.:

as trying to wield it as a weapon. He gets angrier and angrier and and therefore more reckless, and and and his own demise is met because of this. Luke still is responsible for slicing them and catching and getting hits and whatnot. And

Jim:

Sure. I I'm saying sort of like that that that final blow. Mhmm. May maybe not. Maybe he does just and I gotcha.

T.C.:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Jim:

Mhmm. Poky. And I think so okay. Any more any more here? No.

Jim:

No. Good. Okay. Well, because I wanna get to the other characters.

T.C.:

Okay. Well, the well, we should

Jim:

let's Yeah.

T.C.:

Let let's take the break here. So as far as we know as far as we got right now, Luke, in this final confrontation, defeats Vader.

Jim:

Sure.

T.C.:

He he kills him. Mhmm. And now we're gonna take a break here, and we're back up and talk about everybody else. Does that work?

Jim:

Mostly, yes.

T.C.:

Okay. Cool. Alright. We're gonna take five. You guys take one.

T.C.:

Listen to these messages from our beautiful network. We'll be right back. We have already mentioned it. We are making a movie in nineteen seventies eight. And I think we we probably haven't embraced that enough of what a movie from the seventies versus more contemporary film is concerned.

T.C.:

Sure. So I think us to to to hand wave and just say, this happens, this happens, and he wins and all that. For the the campiness of that or the the simplicity of that, it's probably more accurate to what the movie would be anyway. Maybe. Maybe.

T.C.:

So you

Jim:

were But saying like, so for example, that's that's I I don't know why, and I don't know fully how to explain it, but like you're saying him holding Obi wan Yeah. With one hand while fighting fighting with another, that feels very out of Yeah. It's too out of period.

T.C.:

It's too mild of an idea. It's much more he just goes, I will make the same mistake twice. Choking you. I'm choking you, and he's dead. Now fight Luke.

T.C.:

Oh, no. Did Obi wan die a second time?

Jim:

Or or even just the notion of our heroes outnumbering the villain, especially in a movie like this. Two on one. It's normally yeah. It's normally the villains outnumber the heroes. Well,

T.C.:

whatever the case

Jim:

I I I can't think of I can't think of examples right now, unfortunately.

T.C.:

I I let's talk about

Jim:

It ultimately yeah. It doesn't matter.

T.C.:

Leia, Han, and Chewy.

Jim:

I'm gonna go backwards a little bit, still talking about the bad guys and the way it connects to those characters. I think those characters are with Luke and Obi Wan as they approach the gates of the the palace. And Han says, don't worry about this guy, the guy who's there. Mhmm. We'll take care of him.

Jim:

And that's when Obi Wan and Luke just go

T.C.:

oh, so they face the fourth the fourth horseman. Yeah. Like The cocky guy. So Chewbacca and Han are gonna have a fist fight with this guy?

Jim:

Well, it's gonna be a gunfight, and it's gonna yeah. Like like it yeah. They're gonna they're gonna fight this guy. Yes. Ultimately, this guy is going to retreat.

Jim:

He's gonna snarl and run away.

T.C.:

We're gonna get another bad guy to survive the story.

Jim:

We're gonna That's okay. I can't help it. That's okay. Help it. A whole bunch of bad guys are gonna survive.

T.C.:

Oh.

Jim:

Because he is going to the the one of the last things we see is the emperor retreating from the palace, probably maybe from the planet entirely in a spaceship with this guy.

T.C.:

Mhmm.

Jim:

So this guy is his new sort of second.

T.C.:

Yeah.

Jim:

Yeah. Another thing I wanna put at the end, once Darth Vader's defeated, Luke runs over to Obi Wan, picks oh, you're not dead. You're not dead. Mhmm. Or or maybe does or or maybe even does a magic heal.

Jim:

Picks him up, and they they start leaving, and maybe Luke glances over his shoulder, and Darth Vader is gone. Oh. Armor and all. Oh, man. May and it doesn't have to be that he disappeared like Obi wan.

Jim:

Yeah. I don't mind. I like the parallel. Mhmm. But there could even be a blood trail that he's dragged off or pulled off or something.

T.C.:

Interesting. Okay.

Jim:

Is is maybe that's too much. Maybe maybe he needs to die.

T.C.:

I I I vote he's gone. I vote that Vader's dead.

Jim:

That's that's fine then. Yeah. I think I think I think that's mostly fine. That Vader's dead there. Our our heroes leave.

Jim:

The emperor gets away with this new Darth. Mhmm. But, yeah, our our other guys. Initially, I was thinking, oh, this is gonna be the the the Darth Wookie that you had said was But the way you pitched him being cocky, eating something, and then be like, like, that seems like the right character to go up against a group of our of our good guys.

T.C.:

Yeah.

Jim:

Yeah. Because because if he's also this this sword wielding magic user

T.C.:

Mhmm.

Jim:

That seems like more than enough. I'm afraid that feels too much like that final fight of Darth Vader versus the I don't know. Maybe I'm overthinking that. But I I think that could be fun with with Han Solo trying to draw down on this guy, and he's blocking the the shots with his lightsaber. And then I'm gonna take the lightsaber out

T.C.:

of Oh, the okay. Make him a gunslinger. Let's have this be a cowboy fight. Like, we have our samurai fight. Well, let's say and we've already seen that Han Solo is a shoot from the hip kind of guy, because at this point, he he shot and killed Rito because he he knows the value of that.

T.C.:

He's like, I bet you he's got a good nothing like a good blaster at your side, and our gunslinger villain can be deflecting with with his speed and dodging blasts kind

Jim:

of thing. I really want to embrace the samurai aspect of it.

T.C.:

Yeah. Give him a gun and a blade.

Jim:

What if yeah. What if he has yeah. What if he has a gun and a blade?

T.C.:

Yeah. I'm I'm okay with that.

Jim:

Okay. Yeah. Or what if we invent a new it's not a lightsaber. It's a a a light spear. Oh.

Jim:

Essentially, do like a like essentially, like a naginata Mhmm. Where it has the big old blade at the end. Mhmm. But it's it's it's glow it glows. So he he spins that around and stuff and Sure.

Jim:

And then also pulls out a

T.C.:

He's got a

Jim:

blaster. Blaster pistol. Yeah.

T.C.:

Yeah. I'm okay with that. I think

Jim:

it's cool. Something like that.

T.C.:

Just just as a has something to do with our well, let's let's back up even further Okay. To talk about Hans' journey through here. He is he stuck around. Did they try to enlist him? Is he given is he captain solo now of the rebel army?

Jim:

My inclination yes. He's he

T.C.:

yes. I how about this? They have done that. He is accepted because of the pay, and he is a good man at his heart. Like, he knows what the right thing to fight for is.

T.C.:

But oh, you know what? Let's make him and Wedge have some sort of, dysfunction amongst themselves. Not maybe not a straight up rivalry, but, like Oh. Wedge

Jim:

Okay. I like because we'll have scenes where they're planning out how they're gonna do their attack. Yes. And Wedge keeps talking about these traditional formations.

T.C.:

Yep.

Jim:

And we attack them like this.

T.C.:

Yep.

Jim:

And Solo's like, no. We gotta come around from behind and do it like this. And he's like, I don't know.

T.C.:

Strategies are completely, like, do not mesh at all. And he's like, they never should have promoted you. Like, I can't believe we have the same rank. Yeah. That sort of thing.

Jim:

Yeah.

T.C.:

He's like, hey. And he always has his metal on him. Like, you see this? Yeah. Yeah.

T.C.:

Yeah. Yeah. You're showing me your metal again. Jesus Christ.

Jim:

At least fix your rust bucket.

T.C.:

Hey. She's gotta where it counts. Yeah. He's insistent on using the Millennium Falcon for everything. Yeah.

T.C.:

Him and Wedge being kind of, antagonistic to each other. To to to Han, Han doesn't Wedge is just like a whatever. I don't care. And then but to Wedge, Han's is just the most insufferable I can't stand

Jim:

this guy. Until the end. Until the until the the the last guy battle or whatever where their their their disparate ways come together and and and work to overcome Mhmm. The the the the royal blockade. The the TIE fighters that they would have

T.C.:

to face off in the in the final battle. That so Wedge

Jim:

Well, the the the big the the air the orbital defense for the emperor's planet. Mhmm.

T.C.:

Han and and Wedge's combined efforts come into play. How does that get Han on the planet to enter the Oh, so maybe if

Jim:

that's Han's arc the whole time is is flying, maybe he maybe he doesn't have that fight.

T.C.:

I'm gonna say I'm gonna work it in that we can't get him there. If the notion is they want to get a two front attack, they wanna be attacking from the ground and the air at the same simultaneously, which then Han would be the one I can sneak blast, Kate, I'm just a smuggler. Like, yeah, that's what I do. I don't I don't have one of your rebel ships. No one can identify me.

T.C.:

I just have another Karelian freighter that ever there's, like, there's dozens of these in the galaxy. I can use my my history as a Sure. As a as a smuggler. So after the when when the when the final fight is happening, right, Han and Chewbacca have to face off against this cowboy, the gunslinger dark side guy

Jim:

Okay.

T.C.:

With the spear, like the Yeah. Yeah. Like the dual wielder. Yeah. Once that's done, then they can hop in the Millennium Falcon.

T.C.:

So Wedge, just when his his attack in the sky is starting to not like, they're getting, oh, no. This is gonna then Han can come out of nowhere again, and he's like, you know how I do it. And he comes in, and then him and Wedge are now working together to push the the final to get the final push?

Jim:

No. No? No. Because I think Wedge needs that win.

T.C.:

Okay. Not even just enough to do what Han that Han does, that one single shot? Like, cleared the road for you.

Jim:

No. Because I think it undermines it undermines Wedge.

T.C.:

Okay.

Jim:

I like I like that you gave Han his victory of staying true to who he is, by getting getting our team past Okay. Security.

T.C.:

Okay. Then he he can be involved in the final fight, but but it's Wedge who ultimately wins the day in the in the sky.

Jim:

In the sky. Yeah. Great. And then and then because Hans is essentially what Hans says remain remains true. It's why he's a captain.

Jim:

It's he has it where it counts.

T.C.:

Yep.

Jim:

He may not he may not be able to lead a battalion, but he can he can deliver the package, in in time to blow the

T.C.:

In the proper amount of parsecs.

Jim:

I'm I'm totally mixing my metaphors.

T.C.:

No. You're fine. Let's let's rewind here. Let's look at Leia, princess Leia. A, she's a princess.

T.C.:

Yep. I think they're I'll just jump right to this point. We we have a throne to put her on at the end of this.

Jim:

Mhmm.

T.C.:

If they win the day on the on the plan, she gets to sit in that throne in the end. She could be queen, Leia or Ghana in the end of this. But before we even get to that, the

Jim:

Maybe not that throne, because I still oh, I do I do still like the idea of it burning down.

T.C.:

Sure. Sure. Sure. Sure.

Jim:

But she gets to be queen who reinstates the senate?

T.C.:

Yeah. Yeah. That's fine. We we have both. We know we have we have a princess in a in in Star Wars, and we have a senate in Star Wars.

T.C.:

So there's some sort of democracy that's undermined by this fascist empire, and we have a woman with a title. Yeah. We know she was the princess of another planet, but she is involved in leading this rebellion. Uh-oh. Yeah.

T.C.:

Just keep talking. We're fine.

Jim:

Okay. I didn't know where you were going with that. I I I wasn't sure what to do with Princess Leia, so it sounds like you have some ideas.

T.C.:

Well, I'm

Jim:

just saying like And I am here to hear them. Getting her in Oh. That's just gonna

T.C.:

That ultimately, she is the place in a position of being crowned. And, like, she Sure. She's leading this rebellion already, but actually giving her a okay. Getting her the official crown, title, throne situation here. This, just just that that at the end of this, she is put in a position of of a queen, that she's made queen at the end of this.

Jim:

Okay. What do you think of what do you think of this? She is a princess. Her planet is blown up. So she is a princess no more.

Jim:

Mhmm. She's still obviously a big part of the Rebellion. The rebellion. All these things you said. But because of the the reason I'm reiterating those things is it potentially gives her a reason to go out into the field.

Jim:

Because I was thinking there's there's no reason for her to do it. She was only out there because she got captured by Darth Vader Right. In transit, but now she is safely in the back line doing the planning. Mhmm. What if she has reason to go to the front line?

Jim:

So she is on that at least in that third act, she's on the the Millennium Falcon to sneak past the lines because her goal is to capture the emperor. So my notion of him getting away, maybe that doesn't happen. Yeah.

T.C.:

Oh, no. He can still boy, that's a toss-up, because I do like him getting away with that imagery of with that other Jedi or the Yeah. Dark Jedi.

Jim:

Because because what I was gonna say is, when when Han and Chewy say, don't worry, we got this guy, It's more than just Obi Wan and Luke that take off. It's it's also Princess Leia and maybe one or two random rebel guys with her Mhmm. Because their intent is to capture the emperor. Because right? To to end this war, we're gonna capture your king Mhmm.

Jim:

To chess. Checkmate. Yeah. That that so so they that that was my notion there. So then they run into the throne room.

Jim:

And see, no. Now I'm just repeating the beats though. Yeah. Because then Obi Wan and and Luke Skywalker would be like, alright. We're gonna fight Darth Vader.

Jim:

And the emperor takes off, and the princess chases him.

T.C.:

I think Vader dead on the ground stays there. Luke has defeated him and backing up Anhon and Chewy facing the the dual wielding dark force user, the, number four.

Jim:

Mhmm.

T.C.:

And it's funny because the sisters and brothers are numbered, we didn't do that intentionally, but the inquisitors are numbered. Whatever the case. Having Leia be in a position of, not firing a pistol in on the front line, but being in the the lead battle cruiser going into this battle and and strategizing much like she's in the map room with oh my god. I totally blanked on beardo guy's his name. I literally have his toys sitting next to my x wing.

T.C.:

But that she is she is in the the the map room overseeing this battle. But at the end of this, our our big climactic climax is over, and the of this is that she even the standing before the burning rubble having reclaimed the home world, she can send a message out to the galaxy. I am, Leia Organa of the planet Alderaan, prince former princess of the planet Alderaan

Jim:

Mhmm.

T.C.:

Speaking to all rebels, to all those who defy the empire, who who want to overthrow the fascist authoritarianism of this ill gotten rule that now is crumbling behind me. Our time has come. Like, she can give the big, impassioned leader's speech, and she's truly the figurehead that's going to she she can be the queen again. The new queen president? Yeah.

T.C.:

Yeah. And, yeah, I think that that that doesn't put her into I I think she's still a very active participant in this whether or not she's in a

Jim:

swing We we don't get a blaster in her hand. Yeah. That's what I was thinking of is in in that first movie, Princess Leia is at her coolest

T.C.:

When she's

Jim:

when she, like Give

T.C.:

me that.

Jim:

The yeah. Give me that. And then she blasts the whole Yeah. Like, she she takes charge, and and I I wanted to recreate that.

T.C.:

Could, mhmm. Nope. Nope. Nope. All the any any ideas that just flooded in my head are all from existing Star Wars things.

T.C.:

You're not you're not wrong. She's she's pretty badass with that blaster, and she's a very active woman. She's not she's not oh god. That this I'm complaining about the Zahn books for a moment here that she is sidelined and pregnant through that whole trilogy, and everyone acts like that's a good thing. That's something that Carrie Fisher never would have tolerated.

T.C.:

Mhmm. And even even playing even with her being Jabba's sex slave, she gets to choke his ass out with her chain. Mhmm. Badass. Yeah.

T.C.:

But that's that's beside the point. I I can't think contrive a reason right now why she would have a, a moment of pew pew pew pew, but if a bunch of people are yelling and complaining in in strategizing and in some sort of room that she with her authority, she says, stop it. Everyone, that's enough. Like, if she lays down the law and control like, be a leader. Like, that she can take control of a of a of a a broken Maybe.

T.C.:

If she we see her separate Wedge and Han at one point, that

Jim:

she I'm having an idea.

T.C.:

Great. I have babbling enough.

Jim:

That I think needs, it might pivot a lot of the movie. Because right now, our rebels are out there, and then we send out some new dark force power guys to randomly hunt them down. Mhmm. And Vader sits back and isn't the menace that in in in our timeline, he grows to be. Mhmm.

Jim:

Everyone's impressed by Darth Vader. We need Darth Vader to be more active and involved. Okay.

T.C.:

Sorry to cut just stop me for a second. I think he can be. That's why he sent the four out there, because to honor the emperor, he needs to be on the front line. He doesn't get to do a side quest. He's gotta be right out there.

T.C.:

So continue your point.

Jim:

I I think Darth Vader has become so obsessed that he he abandons his orders to pursue the Jedi. Okay. And I think he's going I I think he needs to kind of be at the lead of beating the rebels out from their bases

T.C.:

Mhmm. And chasing them. Yeah. I I think that we're we're in a similar vein of an idea here that he, but I think that is

Jim:

his orders. Right now with with what he with what we've done, he doesn't really do that.

T.C.:

Well well, no. I'm saying that the emperor says, go get these rebels, and he's like, I will, master. Hey. Hey, you four. Go get Luke Skywalker.

T.C.:

I got work to do. And he's on the front lines ripping ripping things apart and waving that red lightsaber around.

Jim:

What I would because the thing is we we're we have little reason to cut to him to see him doing that. We we don't get to see him doing all that cool stuff. I'm not foreseeing where that fits into the movie if we're following these characters and their the the protagonists and their plight.

T.C.:

Mhmm. Why would we cut to a base three star systems over that Darth Vader's destroying? There's a I I there's a okay. We have the rebel side of the galaxy, and the empire is huge over here. Okay.

T.C.:

There is a clear direct line that the rebels wanna take through the the militarized zone Sure. Of all the disputed plans. And so Vader pushing in on the rebel forces as the rebels are pushing in on the imperial forces that they're going to meet. Like, watching Darth Vader push the rebel forces back while the rebel forces push against it, I think we do get to see the campaign of Darth Vader killing rebels, see seeing him obliterate a base and sending that message to Leia in the the strategy room, like, what the hell? We just lost.

Jim:

I don't think we have that kind of budget. I don't think we have the budget to see him lay waste to a whole scene just for that to be a message to our

T.C.:

good guys and have them go, oh, no. Right. Yeah. Yeah. You're right.

T.C.:

Well, what's your what's your suggestion here? If he we just lose the four Jedi and have it

Jim:

No. I wanna retain them somehow. Like, they can sort of just be sort of his his backup. Vader's more badass now because he has four mini versions of him Mhmm. That are also attacking when he attacks.

Jim:

Yeah. One of the reasons I bring this up is so now when they attack a place and our heroes have to fight them off a bit so they can run away Yeah. Leia can have a much bigger part in those in in those in those fights. Mhmm. And all of our care and and so I know initially, in the first half of this, I did say that way our characters aren't just constantly running like that.

Jim:

And now I'm saying, well, maybe they maybe they are. Maybe they are running per specifically from Vader and his crew.

T.C.:

I I think we're there might be some okay. Let's look at New Hope again. Yep. Star Wars not New Hope, just Star Wars.

Jim:

Yeah.

T.C.:

The, the Tantive is attacked. The plans go to Tatooine. Luke meets Ben. Mhmm. They go to Mos Eisley.

T.C.:

They get to the Death Star. They get Leia. They go to the base. They attack the Death Star. The end.

T.C.:

That's the whole movie.

Jim:

Okay. So

T.C.:

I think we're

Jim:

complicated. For movie. Farm Boy goes to war, answers the call. Yes. Farm Boy answers the call to go to war, saves princess Mhmm.

Jim:

Gets away with her, takes down base. Right.

T.C.:

So I think we're making this too complicated So sending out Jedi to attack Luke Skywalker and Vader ready for them at the base, waiting for them to arrive, fighting off the rebel forces that are continuously attacking. If the rebel forces are already attacking the home world, like, the the movie starts with that opening that they are fending off. This is I used Battle of the Bulge earlier. We're talking Bastogne. We're, we're in France.

T.C.:

Like, the this is the disputed and the hardest line that is already actively Sure. Happening. The gathering forces of the rebels Mhmm. Are they're prep preparing to launch all the rebel forces at this front line to push down on the home world. That's their whole plan for the movie.

T.C.:

We don't have to spend too much time hopping planet, battlefield to battlefield. That's the plan. And moving across the galaxy, having skirmishes, or might even need to be limited to hearing about it because we are seeing Luke training with Obi Wan for his destiny, which is we're gonna attack the castle, and you gotta face Vader.

Jim:

Mhmm.

T.C.:

We're gonna face Vader. I think it's as simple as that. So then taking our four dark Jedi that are coming after them, that's basically every other scene. One, two, three, four.

Jim:

Yeah. I think so.

T.C.:

And that's okay. Yeah. This is a this is a tight lean movie. If you look at New Hope, it's not much less than that. Yeah.

T.C.:

So I think this everything we have works, that we can still get down to that home home planet and get to the big throne room fight with Vader.

Jim:

Okay.

T.C.:

To to go back again to the beginning and and look at some of our character arcs, adding wedge into the mix is fun. Do we want to play with any of the romance elements of a a princess Luke did get to get a kiss, a little smooch?

Jim:

Short answer, yes. I don't know what to do.

T.C.:

Yeah. I it's so hard not to love Han and Leia's dynamic. That's true. You

Jim:

think you think But that first movie leads us to believe there's something between the farm boy and the princess?

T.C.:

Yes. Yeah. Because that's that's the tradition of fantasy, that the scoundrel is just there to be a scoundrel.

Jim:

And we're not doing right. We're not kidnapping her again. She's not another she's not in distress again. I don't know what to do there.

T.C.:

Yeah. I okay. I'm trying to be as objective as possible here. Is it worth adding in any sort of romantic subplot here, we just bypass that? If Luke is so focused on he's got a lot to do in this training, and and being a part of this resistance, and and knowing he's gotta face, Vader.

T.C.:

I don't wanna freaking castrate him like some Star Technically,

Jim:

he did those three things in Star Wars.

T.C.:

Had a crush on a princess? Yeah. Yeah. I I I don't know if it's worth developing that with him. And in that case, if we did want to have any sort of romantic stuff in here, I would suggest Han Wedge and Leia having some some sort of love triangle.

T.C.:

He Wedge is the good soldier. He's the he is the the company man, and and and Han is the scoundrel. This is just brainstorming right now. I'm not married to this. If we wanted any sort of romantic element here, I think those three offers offer us more to do than adding another thing to Luke.

T.C.:

What is your scowl telling me?

Jim:

It it me, trying to go with what we know, it feels like it's coming out of nowhere, and it's just ignoring the romance that was in the first movie.

T.C.:

Okay. Well, okay. We need to let go of everything that is, then I think

Jim:

the Except happens in the

T.C.:

So first letting go of everything. Everyone hear me now. We're letting go of everything. Even in Splinter of the Mind's Eye, the first Star Wars novel ever written Uh-huh. Based on George Lucas's plan for if Star Wars failed

Jim:

Okay.

T.C.:

Luke and Leia hook up. They are not brothers and sisters from the Rasquids. Yeah. I think they are a couple. Okay.

T.C.:

It's just straight up the movie starts with them, and they are a couple. Smooching, holding hands, sleeping in the same bed.

Jim:

Okay.

T.C.:

Let it all go, everyone. Don't get gross.

Jim:

Yeah. I let it go.

T.C.:

Okay. Then and so that's just it. We don't need What's gross?

Jim:

They're they're they're a couple.

T.C.:

They're just a couple. Just a princess and a and a farm boy. Yeah. Classic. And I and I don't know if we need to develop it any further than that.

T.C.:

They're just they're there is no stress on their relationship other than their their duties that they have sworn themselves to. And in the end, after all is said and done, they get to reunite and be like, you did a good job. You get to do a good job. Kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss. Yeah?

T.C.:

Okay. Yeah. I think so. There's no there's no drama there with it. Right.

T.C.:

And I I don't know if there needs to be. If they if he's just he's won the princess and he's not at risk of losing her.

Jim:

Maybe do you think the drama might be they're they're having conversations about how they wish this damn war would just end so they could have a family?

T.C.:

I sure am getting tired of all these Star Wars.

Jim:

And and as I say it out loud, like, that feels super cliche.

T.C.:

And also much more contemporary than a nineties. I I don't think that would be in a seventies, like, that extra added element of, boy, I wish we could have a family, but war, I I don't think that's an element that I don't want it in the movie, and I don't know if it would be if it have a place in the movie. They're just they're a couple. Kiss kiss.

Jim:

Okay.

T.C.:

No no drama necessary. I don't I don't see any added bonus to having any drama within the the romantic. Okay. Okay.

Jim:

Okay. So It's funny you say that that feels contemporary to me. That feels crazy traditional. The whole come home to me, Johnny.

T.C.:

Yeah. The no. No. If we're looking at, like, classic westerns and war movies, yes. But they're in the war together.

T.C.:

I don't think there is a come home to me, Johnny, to borrow your parlance.

Jim:

But also you come home

T.C.:

to me, Jane. Come home. You come home.

Jim:

We're both gonna Can't wait for us both

T.C.:

to go home. Go home. It's my alright. After this mission, I'm retiring. I got a sweetheart back home, and I'm

Jim:

I got a moisture farm we can go back to. I'm a princess. Yeah.

T.C.:

Why are we even together now that

Jim:

I think about it?

T.C.:

You're a stinky farm boy. Aw. How does our movie open? What like, we get the opening crawl, be like, after blowing up the Death Star, the rebels have rallied forces. They're pushing against the resistance, but the empire is not so easily broken.

T.C.:

Where do we go? Like, how do we start this movie?

Jim:

Off the top of my head, we start it just like we we start it similar to Star Wars Mhmm. Except it's not the full star destroyer going over. This this might actually be this might belong in an alternate universe that we don't want. Mhmm. But we we copy the the the crawl and a ship flying over top chasing chasing TIE fighters

T.C.:

Mhmm.

Jim:

And chasing it to a planet that is it's it's it's an empire outpost that is being defeated. Mhmm. And and rather than it being this oppressive thing of Oh, yeah. Yeah. Go ahead.

Jim:

I like this. I actually always our our our heroes are being beset by these terrible guys. It's the reverse. It's it's all of these these imperial agents fleeing.

T.C.:

Yes.

Jim:

And then, right, the the airlock door busts in, and in steps Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker and Han Solo as they take the base.

T.C.:

Yes. Buts. I'm gonna tweak tweak this. I think that's a great idea. We open this with the the m the imperial forces on the back foot, a battle sequence.

T.C.:

We've got, Wedge and Luke in x wings just just kicking asses. And then down on the base, the the the the strategy room, we have imps in there. Like, oh, we're losing for losing for, like, message the message, home world. Message the home world. Tell tell the emperor we fucking and in comes Han and Leia and their little group of, like, you know, our two, log in, jack into the the, you know, And then Mhmm.

T.C.:

They claim that they win. They they defeat this. They they hold they

Jim:

have their It's them it's them taking an outpost.

T.C.:

They they they get the imps hostage. Hans all like, you know, like, yeah, get used to this. That's right. 14 we've done done it. Then they they're like, this will be their new base of operations until they push forward, and and they can even say, this will be our base of operations as we plan our big attack that that is hinting at what's to come at the end.

T.C.:

And then you'll go, hey, kid. We got it all situated down here. Wrap it up up there, and, means down here. You I owe you a drink or whatever. And then Luke's like, alright, Hanold, buddy.

T.C.:

Hey, Wedge. Let's finish this off. And they get the last little bit. And as Luke, gets some, like, good job, Luke. You've trusted the force, so meet me.

T.C.:

They are going down to the home world and then cut to the, Imperial Throne Room and the and the emperor, we get to meet him here. And he's like, what do you mean we lost another base? Vader, get in here. And then Vader comes in and he's like, has has his moment of like, the the rebel forces have done it again. You know, I'm mad that the Death Star's gone.

T.C.:

I'm I wanna blame you, but I I you're my man. I'm your and then, yeah, we introduced there. We've introduced all the characters in a matter of

Jim:

ten minutes. We don't hear Obi Wan yet. I think we don't see Obi Wan until that one of the first conflicts.

T.C.:

Yes.

Jim:

Obi Wan shows like, just like Gandalf the White. He shows up, saves the day Mhmm. And they they talk, Obi Wan, you're back. How?

T.C.:

Okay. I like that, but I'm gonna sorry.

Jim:

You want it earlier?

T.C.:

I'm gonna yeah. I think we should get him in as soon as possible, and I'll put it here. We have our throne room freak out. We meet the emperor. We understand the mission.

T.C.:

Cut to this new planet that they've just claimed, and Luke goes off to meditate. And okay. He has already heard Obi Wan. So one or two things. I like your notion.

T.C.:

I'm gonna pitch the first one and then come to yours. One is that he goes out to meditate and just calls Obi Wan, and Obi Wan comes. Or two, Luke goes out to meditate, finds a little area that still has a couple imps in it. He gets, just a real quick, like, surprise, like, oh, no. Pew.

T.C.:

Pew. Pew. Shoot. And I was like, and Obi Wan, we see flashes of white flashes of white, those imps drop. And then Luke turns and is like, Obi Wan or Ben.

T.C.:

He's like, you've got to watch your back, friend. I won't always be here. And then so you get

Jim:

your Of the two, I like that one more. Yeah. I still don't think it should be until

T.C.:

more a Why why wait? I'm I'm not being a dick. I'm just curious why why wait

Jim:

so long. Because we're we're a sequel, and I think returning this this disappeared character from the first one, I I think I think that's a a much bigger hurrah moment, and having and giving him a real hero moment rather than throwing him a couple guys to to cut down Mhmm. Shows shows that power that he's come into. He's more powerful than he used to be. Mhmm.

Jim:

He's he's he's resurrected.

T.C.:

Okay. Okay. I I won't fight you on it. I don't I'd I I feel like in in needing to beat this out further, this is definitely something that would need to be finessed, like bringing him back definitively finding the right way to bring him back. Sure.

T.C.:

Thinking like a movie from nineteen seventy eight's, I would argue my way is cleaner and probably the way.

Jim:

Well, I mean, they weren't they they were still sophisticated movies. They still did one. Like, honestly, even thinking about the the relate the the the relationship Mhmm. Maybe I'm misremembering. It might have already been a love triangle between Leia, Luke, and Han in that first one, and I'm just coloring it or misremembering it.

Jim:

So we could have that we we could even have that triangle happen where there's conflict between Luke and Han, as as Leia makes it clear that she doesn't want to commit to any relationship while in the war.

T.C.:

Creating that love triangle immediately between Han, Luke, and Leia in in this, based on on what we did get, no. There's there's no explicit romantic interest between Han and Leia.

Jim:

There's no explicit well

T.C.:

Their their dynamic is antagonistic and platonic at best. Like, they

Jim:

It's that antagonism, though, that creates the ship. Like like, I feel like that right. Your your standard love triangle is between the the girl. There's the there's the guy who is more of the the straight laced obvious one, and then the bad boy

T.C.:

Yeah.

Jim:

Yeah. You don't wanna get involved with me. I'm a heartbreaker

T.C.:

kind I'm bad news, sister.

Jim:

And that's and that's what Leia has going on here. Mhmm. Luke is sort of the obvious one, but Han is I mean, really attractive. Yeah. And they're sniping at each other kinda creates that in that first one.

T.C.:

I could see why people would ship them, to use the more modern term. Yeah. Absolutely could understand why they would ship them, but if you strictly look at what we got, there is nothing the most we get is her saying, I knew there was more to you than money. Like, that's that's the most we get from Leia. She doesn't have any interest in this idiot.

T.C.:

She she's she takes command. It's like she kisses Luke on the on the cheek for his jump. She gives him the wink. Like like, the the I can yes. See You could build the love triangular.

T.C.:

I don't think it's necessary.

Jim:

You and you don't think it's there?

T.C.:

I I don't think it's there. I don't think it's necessary. Okay.

Jim:

If you

T.C.:

if you wanna try to convince

Jim:

I might be coloring it too much with Empire Strikes Back.

T.C.:

I I really do think so that

Jim:

Okay.

T.C.:

Trying to be as objective as possible, I don't think there's it really just comes down to fans being like, wouldn't it be cool if, like mean, how's the bad boy? I like him more. He's the only interest he takes into in her is she's rich. How rich? More money than you can imagine.

T.C.:

Well, I can imagine a lot. Like, that's that's his his driving fad. He doesn't see her and he's like, hey, baby. He's like

Jim:

Okay.

T.C.:

Yeah. So why did we start talking about that?

Jim:

I don't remember. I was just talking about I I just realized that maybe I was we went to that where we in oh, sophistication of the seventies. Right.

T.C.:

Right. Right.

Jim:

I think trying to say, yes, in some ways, because we have how many fucking years now? Almost fifty years?

T.C.:

Yeah. Fifty.

Jim:

Forty some years Mhmm. Of of changing of change in storytelling

T.C.:

Mhmm.

Jim:

Doesn't mean that those stories weren't sophisticated. Obviously, there's technical aspects, but budgets for things that you can do in movies. Mhmm.

T.C.:

Right. This oh, I remember. Now this comes down to our conversation about how to introduce Obi Wan and what is the more interesting, sophisticated way to do it. Whatever the whatever way we choose to do it, having him come in like a badass. Yeah.

T.C.:

And you've already evoked Gandalf the Wights, having him come in and have a rescue moments. It would then it probably should be when the first dark Jedi attacks Luke.

Jim:

That's that's what I'm thinking.

T.C.:

Yeah. The first time that happens. I do want to have Luke try to speak to him beforehand. Like, when he goes to meditate, and he says, Ben, Ben, can you hear me? Like, we need to Luke's training needs to be quickly as possible.

T.C.:

I see. Like, do we hear Obi Wan's voice, or is is Luke talking and just essentially praying to to no one, just trying to structure this film in such a way that it it the first one, he has force powers in no time, but also, maybe I'm overthinking I

Jim:

I actually think we can have it be real fast, because I think Darth Vader can dispatch his cronies

T.C.:

Yes. Really really quickly. Luke Throne Room, go to Luke. Luke finding his meditation spot, starting his training by himself or continuing his training by himself, then cut to Vader talking

Jim:

Oh, to I'm thinking I I think cut to that later. We have our whole victory over this outpost. Mhmm. Cut to Throne Room

T.C.:

Throne Room.

Jim:

Yep. Vader getting in trouble Yep. All that. And he says, don't worry, my liege. I already I've already sent men.

Jim:

Oh, okay. Something like that. Or don't worry, my liege. I've I've brought men. We see them, and then they have a quick talking to, and they go out.

Jim:

Cut to Luke meditating Yes. And stuff. Yes. This might be way too fast. No.

Jim:

No. Cut to Luke meditating and stuff, and we see one of those guys has found us.

T.C.:

That's too fast. And he's

Jim:

oh, okay.

T.C.:

That's too fast. But I we we're of the same mind of where to to pace this intro of all the characters, I think. And then there needs to be at least a scene to passage of like, a scene or two to pass the time of establishing the base, Luke meditating, nightfall, preparing forces, Ehhan and Wedge being, antagonistic to each other, Leia and Luke smooching in bed, and then then we can have this first assassin show up.

Jim:

Okay.

T.C.:

That we know they they didn't hide where they are. They they took this base, and they're not hiding. Yeah. So it's not hard to find him. Mhmm.

T.C.:

So the first of the dark Jedi showing up about there. We're we're within the fifteen minute margin.

Jim:

Okay. I think that's true. That's that's plenty fast off. Yeah. And and it goes back to to Luke, he can even be like, why have you forsaking me?

Jim:

Answer me, Ben. Ben, talk to me.

T.C.:

And this this dark Jedi's shown up in, like like, not even saying a word. He's just like, and all a sudden, we see the lightsaber first, and then out of the shadows comes Obi Wan, the white. Yeah.

Jim:

Yeah. And defeats defeats this this first dark force user, dark Jedi.

T.C.:

The next lesson you'll learn starts starts now.

Jim:

Like, where were you? I was busy. I couldn't answer the phone. He he could even give like like, there could be a quick little monologue about what happened to him and, through the Force, I've been reborn.

T.C.:

Mhmm.

Jim:

That is the power of the light side.

T.C.:

And and yeah. And I remember, always choose the light over the dark.

Jim:

And Mhmm.

T.C.:

The lessons begin right here now.

Jim:

And, oh, and and the things do you think it'd be too much for the things Obi Wan does in this first fight are mirrored by Luke in the final fight against Darth Vader?

T.C.:

Sure. I think even mirroring every of all the fights, like, we're gonna see one more before the so I think but definitely here mirroring some of those moves so that, and then, yeah, the second fight as well. He's gonna go up against two at once. Mhmm. Your suggestion of that, I think, is pretty good.

T.C.:

So Obi Wan showed up and saying, let's start training, boy. Yeah. And then what is, let's give our let's give our other heroes another skirmish battle Well action second.

Jim:

They can have one in that that second fight where the one Jedi gets on the ship and fights Obi Wan, and Luke is dogfighting with another

T.C.:

How do we get to that, though?

Jim:

Wedge and and, Kimmy doing stuff there.

T.C.:

Yes. But how how do we bridge to that moment? Because I think, yes, when the second Jedi attack, it's in transit. When they're moving from their new base of operations to towards the front line, that's when our second attack happens. I'm just how do we get from Obi Wan showed up in his training?

T.C.:

Luke, we need a scene or two here before we're in transit. And it's we have Leihan, Witt is our main care a new main character in the mix here. And we also have

Jim:

It it could all we there's no reason not I'm gonna invoke a thing that makes it sound really dumb. But, we can have repulsa Rita Repulsa type scene. Right? So that's defeated. We go back to Vader

T.C.:

Yes.

Jim:

And the other dark Jedi, and they're like, curses. Our man was defeated. We could feel it in the force.

T.C.:

Yeah. Having having cut to okay. He's defeated by Obi Wan. Obi Wan has a chat with Luke. Then cut to the front line.

T.C.:

We have, we're probably in a room, and we were hearing of a battle.

Jim:

Oh, before that. No. We're oh, oh, you're putting you're that's a empire Yes. Scene. Yeah.

Jim:

I was gonna say, we actually go to a scene where Leia and Wedge and and Han, they're they're in talks about how we need to go to this point to to get to to move the the the The fleece. Push push the line.

T.C.:

Yeah. We'll come back to that. I think that after Obi Wan shows up and they've killed this Jedi, cutting to a battle on the front line and having Vader like, in I don't think it's a battle we see. We're in a room. A it's a overseeing meeting.

T.C.:

It's a bureaucratic meeting moment.

Jim:

Yep.

T.C.:

And Vader is is suddenly senses the loss of their man. Maybe maybe even the end of the Obi Wan scene has the dark Jedi, like, and then and they mercy kill him or whatnot. Or whatever the case, Vader's in this room and suddenly senses it and is pissed and, like, like, has a moment of aggression. Then we go to Leia and Wedge talking about we need to get in transit to move our forces.

Jim:

Yeah. We're seeing yeah. We're seeing same stuff.

T.C.:

Same same stuff. Great. Then we're in transit, and now we have our second Mhmm. Confrontation with two more dark Jedi showing up. Luke and Obi Wan working together.

Jim:

Dynamic battle, both on the ship where so there's Yeah. Swords and stuff, and then also out here. And and Luke's all like, oh, no. I can't help you, Obi Wan. He's like, don't worry about it.

Jim:

Keep flying

T.C.:

your ship.

Jim:

That's my Obi Wan impression. It's a shitty Neil Diamond.

T.C.:

Obi Wan gets these guys.

Jim:

Meanwhile, the dark Jedi shows up, and now that he has to dogfight with him.

T.C.:

No. Yeah. The We have one dark Jedi dogfighting with Luke. Mhmm. Maybe Wedge is in the mix too.

Jim:

Mhmm. But, yes. And and and honestly, for us, that's specifically to show how the Jedi powers affect the ships and

T.C.:

and yeah. The the one that attacks on the ship that Obi Wan faces off against put Leia in danger as well so that she can be firing shots at him. Sure. Like, he attacks the the control room of the ship Mhmm. So that we do get her in a blaster, and and she's like, no way.

T.C.:

Where's Han and Chewy in the mix here?

Jim:

Around. You know?

T.C.:

Probably out in the fight so that him and Wedge can be Yeah.

Jim:

They're they're taking on the the the squadron of TIE fighters that have showed up, and it's

T.C.:

No. No. No. The can we have this confrontation with the other Jedi against Obi Wan on the Millennium Falcon while Han's trying to fly it? Like, Han and Chewy are are flying this thing while Obi Wan.

T.C.:

No one board like, yeah, no one can board the Millennium Falcon.

Jim:

I mean, short answer, yeah. I'd Is it not enough space? I don't think it's enough space. My hands are in the air. Yeah.

Jim:

I don't think it's that cool.

T.C.:

Okay. That's fine. We'll we'll put them

Jim:

on if if you if you can see it, if you have a

T.C.:

It it was just a thought. It's just a a way to keep engaging our characters in in the Sure. The actual plot points. If Han's just transporting if he's just out in the mix of the fight, I just don't know how Han doesn't have much of a a story in this, which is not No. Yeah.

T.C.:

Essential. He was a supporting character in the first one. Mhmm. His arc is small. Maybe maybe no.

T.C.:

Okay. Let's have him out in the fight so that, he's facing off against some imps while Luke is facing off against the Jedi tie fighter. And Mhmm. So it's Han, Wedge, and and Luke out there in a little while Obi Wan and Leia face off against the other guy. These two get dispatched again.

Jim:

Yeah. Yep. Or does it make like, it is I see I see another reason to suggest the Millennium Falcon. It's it's cleaner. We don't have to have more ships.

Jim:

Mhmm. We keep it we keep our we keep our sets minimal.

T.C.:

Mhmm.

Jim:

It is a pretty small space, though. It's it's the the lounge area Yeah. And the cockpit.

T.C.:

Yeah. It it's it's probably not enough room to do it, and it should be on whatever our main battle cruiser that Leia will be on in the finale.

Jim:

Yeah.

T.C.:

So probably that. Okay. How about this? Okay. Fahan wants to be in the fight.

T.C.:

He either wants to be fighting on the bridge where this jerk has been, or he wants to be out in the fighting with the with the x wings Sure. But he's stuck in the cargo bay. Like, not not

Jim:

like Nice. An That that's some good comedy.

T.C.:

Yeah. Yeah. Like but just that he's like, ah, I I I wanna like that And then Chewbacca's, like, he's got his bow caster against some, like, maybe they boarded here. Like like, wherever the dark Jedi came in, it's literally in the in the holding bay, the the the launching bay that the Million Falcon is in. So Han and Chewy are fighting stormtroopers while our dark Jedi goes upstairs.

T.C.:

Sure. And Luke is out in the mix there. Yep. Yeah. And then they defeat him.

T.C.:

Yep. Do we cut back to Vader pissed off again? Maybe the maybe maybe Vader goes to the emperor this time and says, you know, I I want to my men my men Luke Skywalker is a bigger problem than we realized. Let me go. And the emperor says, no.

T.C.:

You have

Jim:

to stay here. Sure. But either way, we then get to the front line, and the front line is is here at the home world.

T.C.:

Before we get to the front line, there's probably one more scene of of Obi Wan and Luke train, like, talking to each other. We get to the front line.

Jim:

Where they are confronted with an impassable wall.

T.C.:

Mhmm. Whatever that is. Or orbital orbital blockade. A blockade in Star Wars? Yeah.

T.C.:

Brilliant.

Jim:

It's it's really what it is is it's basically just a barrage of giant laser guns.

T.C.:

Sure. And there's the the battleships are the the Star Destroyers are all all over the place. Yeah.

Jim:

And and so they need to come up with their plan. Like, well, if we attack, they're definitely because they can see, oh, there are open channels here and there. Mhmm. But if we attack, once they see us, they're gonna close all those right up, so we won't be able to get in. How do we get any closer?

Jim:

How do we get anyone on the ground? Because if we don't, the emperor will get away. Mhmm. He he won't he won't stay here when when the battle starts. Yes.

Jim:

So we need to sneak in. Well, how do we do that? I got a ship. That's what I do.

T.C.:

I think you're forgetting who I am. Yeah. Sweetheart, let me let me do what I do best.

Jim:

Oh, no. You've turned Han Solo into Ellis.

T.C.:

Yep. They they sneak through the front line.

Jim:

And right. So it's coordinated so that the moment once the Millennium Falcon gets through the the open trade channel Mhmm.

T.C.:

Then our rebels attack They all appear out of

Jim:

we see that we see all the channels closed, and now the Millennium Falcon is behind enemy lines without help. Mhmm. And the the battle begins. Yes. And Wedge is basically Wedge and the princess are left alone out there to conduct the battle.

T.C.:

Yeah. She's on the bridge of the of our main rebel ship, and Wedge is out there leading red squadron. Luke, Khan, Chubak Chubaka, we won we won. The gang's back together.

Jim:

Yep. The droids, they've been there the whole time.

T.C.:

Yeah. Yes. Always always there the whole time. You know what? Let's give r two d two to Wedge Antilles.

Jim:

Oh, no. Do you think? I don't know.

T.C.:

May maybe. In that previous battle where Luke was facing off against the dark Jedi, Wedge gets winged badly enough that for a moment we think, oh, no. Just his his Uh-huh. His x wing is busted enough so that when they go into the final battle, he gets Luke's x wing with r two d two. So r two d two is with wedge for the the battle up top.

T.C.:

Sure. And then c three p o can just be at lay aside.

Jim:

Okay.

T.C.:

And then, we got the the mixed nut eating Yep. Dual wielder. Oh, he's eating an apple. Sorry. Yeah.

T.C.:

And Luke gets in. They have the confrontation with Vader. Uh-huh. And hey. We did it.

T.C.:

There we go.

Jim:

You go. A sequel to Star Wars. No one would have ever thought that that movie would get a sequel.

T.C.:

Yeah. Yeah. I don't mean to just cut it off right there because we just cut back up

Jim:

to it. Yeah. The the first half was the the end half.

T.C.:

Yeah. I I thinking in terms of following that movie in that style with that narrative and that type of acting and those special effects

Jim:

Mhmm.

T.C.:

Even doubling the budget we are still existing in that era with those elements, this this feels like the right sort of samurai, gunslinger, knights in shining armor fan space fantasy that the first one established.

Jim:

We didn't get a Casablanca scene.

T.C.:

Oh, you want you want your cantina?

Jim:

I would love that you you invoke the cantina first, and and and once you did that, was like, oh, yeah.

T.C.:

There's a spot for it. When they get planetside, we can see what an imperial bar looks like on the home world before they get to the Full of

Jim:

evil alien. I mean, they were they were scum and villainy Yeah. And Mos Eisley as well.

T.C.:

There is a an implied xenophobia in the Yeah. Imperial army, that they are all very Caucasian They are. Humans. Mhmm. But getting to see a what the streets of the home world look like, an alley, walking up to the castle, there's an opportunity to see the Sure.

T.C.:

The distress. That's but the facade is still glorious. It's the glorious empire. They'd never let the the the the bums hang out on the steps, but underneath the city in the fringes.

Jim:

Do almost like a speakeasy kind of thing?

T.C.:

Yeah. Yeah. Like before they can get like, we can't we can't attack the front gates until this moment in time. Well, what are going do until then? How about a drink?

T.C.:

We can ourselves a a little

Jim:

There's there's a there's a little hole in the wall I used to stop in.

T.C.:

Yeah. It's literally a hole in the wall.

Jim:

Because Han Solo would know them because Yeah. He smuggles.

T.C.:

Yeah. So then, yeah, you get yourself a weird group of alien folk.

Jim:

Yeah? I think so.

T.C.:

Alright. Well, okay. Star Wars II, which is what it would be called. Yeah. I'm I think I think we're gonna call it there.

T.C.:

I think that's

Jim:

I think so.

T.C.:

The the I the think that's gonna do us I I wanna know if we met the demand today. So, obviously, you listening right now, you can you gotta let us know. What it is does this feel like it's so hard to let go of Star Wars, but could you imagine this as the sequel to what we would know as Star Wars? Yeah. You can message us directly at Studio Demands It.

T.C.:

Find us on Instagram. That's probably the best way to get to us. It seems to be the one that everyone's utilizing at this point in time, especially for demands such as this one. If you're not already, you can subscribe to us wherever you can find us. You know?

T.C.:

Yeah. So that's fun. And it never hurts to give us a reveal. We won't say no to that. You can find us on YouTube and TikTok where we have video content, and material not heard here on the show.

T.C.:

Jim, people can find us elsewhere.

Jim:

On Reddit, you can go to r/studiodemandsit. Join our subreddit there, and you can go to our website studiodemandsit.com and follow the Discord link, for an invite to our Discord server.

T.C.:

And I think if if you head over to the to Discord or Reddit, probably Discord, pitch us some of your ideas for what what could you conceive to be Star Wars if you let go of everything Star Wars has ever been.

Jim:

Yeah. And don't and, like and don't try to recontextualize stuff that already Yeah. Like like like, wedge existed in the first one, so wedge can be there. But, like, Yoda, there was nothing in that first movie to suggest a little green alien Or yeah. Was gonna help help out Obi Wan.

T.C.:

It is.

Jim:

Luke, I mean.

T.C.:

I think the closest approximation to this is Star Wars Visions, which is really all about, like, what is Star Wars in different universal styles.

Jim:

Sure.

T.C.:

Yeah. Half of those are canonical Star Wars stories, and the other half are Are not truly made up ones. Yeah. Yeah. Star Wars visions season three is, not season three.

T.C.:

The the ninth Jedi, the the Star Wars Vision movie

Jim:

Mhmm.

T.C.:

Has come, and, worth the watch to watch that ongoing story. Anyhow, thank you to six five Media, our godfather, David Geisler, for everything he's done for us. So please check out some of those other shows if you're interested in it. We do have a Patreon. So for just a couple bucks a month, can get episodes early, commercials commercial free, double length conversations.

T.C.:

Like, these episodes are twice as long on pay on on Patreon if that interests you. And, you can also just subscribe for free if you wanna show some love. But, Jim, unless you have anything else.

Jim:

I like what we came up with here. Mhmm. Don't think we came up with something better than what did come out.

T.C.:

Yes. Which is nothing better.

Jim:

Which I think threads the interesting needle of of, wow, that's a neat idea, but appreciate what you got.

T.C.:

Yeah. Yeah. The grass is not always greener on the other side. I I also do not think we've pitched something that's better than Empire Strikes Back, which is freaking amazing.

Jim:

Yeah. There's definitely bits here that I wish were in the Star Wars universe. Mhmm. Like the the the dark Jedi.

T.C.:

Yeah. Right? Yeah. I mean, Inquisitors exists eventually.

Jim:

Not the way they did it, though.

T.C.:

The way we would do it. Yeah.

Jim:

I think they should they're they're Inquisit right. They got so strict about how the the dark side works. Mhmm. Like, there's only ever two actual dark side guys, and they're constantly betraying each other.

T.C.:

Yeah.

Jim:

And anyone else, they're imitator bad guys who used to be good guys.

T.C.:

Yeah.

Jim:

Just let there be bad guys.

T.C.:

Yeah. Let's just have a whole bunch of red lightsabers. But Yes. I don't disagree. But, yes, we did not come up with anything better than what we have gotten.

Jim:

Yeah.

T.C.:

Because pretty much more more of what we've gotten of Star Wars just in the movies is better than what we what isn't good. Anyway, I'm

Jim:

gonna leave

T.C.:

it at that, and thank you, everyone. I'm T.C.

Jim:

I'm Jim.

T.C.:

And that's see you in a galaxy far away. There we go.