'STAR WARS' AT 45: DARK AGENTS CONSPIRE!

Image: STAR WARS ARCHIVES website.

Striding through the hallway of Princess Leia's captured consular vessel, Darth Vader, the infamous Dark Lord of the Sith, confers with his arrogant aide, Commander Daine Jir (played by Al Lampert), about the dangers of keeping the Alderaanian princess and key Rebel Alliance operative alive. In a filmed but unused take, there is some alternate dialogue in which Jir tells Vader that "she must be destroyed immediately," to which Vader responds, "No, my first duty is to locate that hidden fortress of theirs."

Unused angle, adding to the often documentary style visual feel.

The "hidden fortress' of the original Star Wars is clearly another affectionate Lucas homage to the Akira Kurosawa classic of the same name- The Hidden Fortress, an important movie to the rising star director during his formative film school/university days, what with its memorable story and characters.

ROGUE ONE: COMETH THE EMISSARY!

Great promotional and merchandising art showcasing the ultimate saga villain, Darth Vader, for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, by Joe Corroney. In the originally filmed version of the movie, before the reshoots, Vader's role in the story was a deliberately minimalist one- an ominous. shadowy figure for several sequences, having been sent as an emissary by the Emperor to oversee the final stages of the Death Star's completion originally above Scarif (when it was a construction base rather than a communications/vault facility - a task that the Dark Lord assumed but was not interested in, considering the space station's destructive abilities insignificant compared to the true power of the Force (a belief he also shared in A New Hope), and despite the tyrannical ambitions and boasting of a power-demonstrative Orson Krennic, a brief moment of their conversation of which would be seen in an early movie trailer in 2016. In this deleted Death Star sequence, Vader would be physically portrayed by actor/muscle man Spencer Wilding, with vocal recording being done, also unused, featuring James Earl Jones.

https://starwarsaficionado.blogspot.com/2017/03/rogue-one-darth-vaders-lost-scenes.html

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: BLOCKADE TRAPPERS!

Second Assistant Cameraman Madelyn Most with the clapperboard for the scene.

Their 'first catch of the day' soon turns out to be nothing of the kind for Imperial Captain Lennox and his cronies on the Blockade Star Destroyer Tyrant, as their vessel is soon temporarily crippled by an ion Cannon, allowing Rebel ships to escape. A scene filmed during May, 1979 for The Empire Strikes Back, with actors Oliver Maguire and John Dicks.

Oliver Maguire as an Imperial Lieutenant, and John Dicks as Captain Lennox.

Gary Kurtz confers with the actors between takes.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: VADER AWAITS...

Darth Vader looms ominously on the bridge of his Imperial Star Destroyer (not yet a Super Star Destroyer- that came a little later in the production phase), a busy hive of activity and technological superiority, as the Empire continues its hunt for the elusive Rebel band that destroyed the Death Star, in these lovely Ralph McQuarrie Production Paintings of epic visual scope for 'Star Wars II', aka The Empire Strikes Back.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: THE IMPERIAL DEATH FLEET!

The Death Star may have been destroyed but the Empire's technological might in war remains unstoppable, especially as the hunt for the Rebel Alliance intensifies. Having escaped the Battle of Yavin in his damaged TIE fighter, Darth Vader leads the new search and destroy mission, as well as his own personal agenda, commanding the mighty Super Star Destroyer, the Executor.

Concept art for the new Super Star Destroyer.

Originally, there was to have been no Super Star Destroyer for Vader in The Empire Strikes Back- he was to have commanded an ordinary Star Destroyer, but this notion was soon changed in the pre-production phase when ILM's Model Shop, led by Lorne Peterson, told George Lucas that a new and impressive craft could be created without going over budget.

Some behind the shots of the model-making...

Lorne Peterson at work.

Don Dow beside the impressive miniature.

CLASSIC IMAGE: AWAITING ABSOLUTE POWER...

In one of the Death Star conference rooms, the many top Imperial officers gather for a secret meeting with Grand Moff Tarkin, of which the most impatient for action and most power-ambitious of the assembled must surely be Admiral Motti (played with relish by Richard LeParmentier), born with the kind of thirst for evildom with the soon completion of the battle station that knows no end...

ROGUE ONE: LOCK DOWN!

The planet killing primary weapon dish of the Death Star slowly but surely begins to lock into place with the final stages of the space station's construction, in this great image from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and also shows its immense size in comparison to the lowly Star Destroyer nearby.

The impressive shot is a clear homage to Joe Johnston's 1976 concept pieces for the Death Star surface, notably linked to the 'laser eye', penned for the original Star Wars.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: COSTUMED EPIC!

An early over jacket design for Luke in his X-wing fighter garb on Hoth. All art by John Mollo.

Thrilled with the unexpected success of Star Wars, and even more thrilled to receive an esteemed Academy Award for his work on the film, British Costume Designer John Mollo was back to work the day after his win (3rd April, 1978) to work on The Empire Strikes Back, revising and improving certain old characters and fractional costumes, and, more importantly, creating lots of new wardrobe items large and small for the scenes set on the ice planet Hoth and the 'Art Deco' styled Cloud City at Bespin.

Mollo with Natalie Wood and Darth Vader (Kermit Eller) at the 1978 Academy Awards event.

Mollo would be working alongside new director Irvin Kershner, whom he ultimately didn't have quite as strong a relationship with in comparison to George Lucas back in 1976, allegedly with some new work often frustratingly being altered many times by Kershner in the pre and production phases of the sequel.

Early Rebel soldier and snowtrooper concepts.

Imperial Snowtrooper design.

The Rebels: Luke, Han, fighter pilot and snow trooper.

Leia, Rebel Command Crew and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The Empire: Darth Vader, Imperial Trooper, TIE fighter pilot.

The Empire: General Veers in AT-AT outfit, Imperial technician and officer.

EPISODE IX: JAGGED EDGE!

An incredible and frightening sight. Top pilot Poe Dameron's single Resistance X-wing fighter against a score of malevolent enemy Star Destroyers? I don't reckon the Empire/ First Order's chances, regardless, in this great teaser poster art for The Rise of Skywalker released in US Dolby Cinemas and Real D 3D Cinemas and IMAX this past Christmas and New Year.

'Final Battle' TV spot:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG42Hlm2B6I

EPISODE IX: FORCE FIGHTERS!

A duel begins in the recently released Chinese poster for EPISODE IX.

As the combined forces of the First Order and the Empire prepare to take the galaxy, Rey and Kylo Ren square off on the remains of the second Death Star, in the memorable Asian/International territories poster for The Rise of Skywalker.

Behind the scenes info recently revealed for EPISODE IX:

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Writer Chris Terrio on Major Spoilers | IndieWire

Intent Behind The Rise of Skywalker Opening Crawl Explained by Co-Writer

Star Wars 9 Editor Reveals 3 Scenes Added During Reshoots

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-visual-effects-secrets-revealed-200000081.html?guccounter=1

'SOLO': THAT VERY FAMILIAR IMPERIAL!

Jon Kasdan on set at Pinewood.

It was a lifetime dream for him to be able to co-write an entry in a film series that has made such a cultural impact worldwide. Better yet to be lucky enough to have a sweet little cameo in that film, too. And, if you're lucky enough to become a villain, wear a very cool uniform! Jon Kasdan's background scene as part of Han's court martial in Solo: A Star Wars Story may not have made the finished film but it's there to see and enjoy regardless via the Special Features of Blu-ray.

On set with fellow officer (played by second unit director Toby Hefferman), both of whom were social media teased by director Ron Howard as possibly being the comedic comic book characters of Tag and Bink.

On The Force Awakens outdoor set at Pinewood with Lawrence Kasdan and J.J. Abrams.

http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/981655-jon-kasdan-reveals-53-facts-about-solo-a-star-wars-story

https://www.indiewire.com/2018/05/solo-a-star-wars-story-cut-cameo-1201965339/