60 Fun Facts About Return of the Jedi

Who directed Return of the Jedi?

He joked it was like directing King Lear with Shakespeare in the next room, since Lucas was on set constantly.

Who was George Lucas's first choice to direct the film?

Spielberg was barred by their separate feuds with the Directors Guild; Lynch and Cronenberg both declined.

What was the film's title on its original teaser trailer and posters?

Lucas decided in December 1982 that a Jedi should never seek revenge; leftover posters were sold to fans for $9.50.

What fake title was used to disguise the production from fans and price-gouging suppliers?

Its tagline was 'Horror Beyond Imagination'.

On which planet does the film open, at Jabba the Hutt's palace?

C-3PO and R2-D2 arrive as a 'goodwill gift' from Luke.

How does Leia get into Jabba's palace?

She frees Han from the carbonite but is caught and enslaved.

What creature does Jabba drop Luke through a trapdoor to face?

Lucas wanted a man in a suit, Godzilla-style, but settled for a puppet filmed at high speed.

How does the beast beneath Jabba's throne room end up being realised on screen?

Several attempts at a Toho-style suit performer failed to convince.

Into what does Jabba plan to throw Luke, Han and Chewbacca?

Boba Fett is swallowed by it during the sail-barge fight.

How does Jabba the Hutt die?

His sail barge is destroyed as the heroes escape.

Roughly how heavy was the Jabba the Hutt puppet?

Several puppeteers operated it, and Larry Ward supplied the voice.

Who confirms to Luke that Darth Vader really is his father?

Lucas added the scene after a child psychologist warned kids might think Vader had lied.

Who tells Luke that Leia is his twin sister?

He also tells Luke he must face Vader again to finish his training.

Where is the second Death Star's shield generator located?

Han leads the strike team sent to destroy it.

Which two rebels lead the fleet assault on the Death Star?

They arrive to find the shield still up and the Imperial fleet waiting.

Which two pilots fly into the Death Star's core and destroy its reactor?

Denis Lawson played Wedge in all three original films.

How does the Emperor die?

Vader is fatally wounded by the Force lightning in the process.

Which actor plays the unmasked Anakin Skywalker?

Marquand wanted Olivier or Gielgud, but Lucas thought a star would be distracting.

Who plays the Emperor?

Alan Webb was originally cast but fell ill; McDiarmid was in his late 30s under heavy ageing makeup.

Which actor auditioned for Moff Jerjerrod but lost the part to Michael Pennington?

Rickman's film debut came five years later in Die Hard.

Why did Warwick Davis end up playing Wicket the Ewok?

It was Davis's first film acting job; Baker played another Ewok, Paploo, instead.

The Ewoks were originally going to be which species?

Wookiees had become too technologically advanced, so Lucas wanted something short and primitive.

Which dog breed owned by Lucas inspired the Ewok design?

Makeup artist Stuart Freeborn developed the look.

The Ewok language created by Ben Burtt is based on which real language?

He heard the Mongolic language in a documentary and liked its alien sound.

What real-world conflict inspired the Ewoks' battle against the Empire?

Lucas said the Ewoks' job was to distract the troops, not really win.

Which word is never spoken in the film despite the creatures' fame?

Only the end credits name Wicket, Paploo, Teebo, Logray and Chirpa.

Which species is Admiral Ackbar?

Puppeteer Tim Rose played him, with Erik Bauersfeld's uncredited voice.

Who is Lando's co-pilot aboard the Millennium Falcon at the Battle of Endor?

The Sullustan pilot was played as both a puppet and a costumed actor.

Where were the Endor forest scenes filmed?

Vader's funeral pyre was shot at Skywalker Ranch.

Where were the sail-barge battle exteriors filmed?

The crew spent two weeks there in April 1982.

How was the speeder-bike chase through the forest achieved?

Inventor Garrett Brown walked at 5 mph; projected at 24 fps it looks like 120 mph.

At which English studio was the first stage of production shot?

The film occupied all nine sound stages for 78 days.

Which scene, later cut, was the first thing shot?

It was later included as a deleted scene on the 2011 Blu-ray.

What was Return of the Jedi's production budget?

Using Lucasfilm-owned ILM saved an estimated $18 million.

Roughly how many special effects shots did ILM create for the film?

The company ran 20 hours a day, six days a week to hit an April 1983 deadline.

Which sound-certification company did Lucas found after test screenings revealed poor theatre audio?

Return of the Jedi was the first film presented in THX, in four US theatres.

On what date was Return of the Jedi released, chosen to match the original Star Wars?

It had been slated for May 27 before the change.

Which film's single-day gross record did Return of the Jedi beat on its opening day?

It made $6.2 million on day one and a record $45.3 million in its first week.

Which 2019 film finally broke Jedi's inflation-adjusted per-theatre opening record?

Jedi's $22,973 per theatre stood for 36 years.

How much did Return of the Jedi gross worldwide in its initial run?

Re-releases have since pushed the total past $480 million.

Who composed the score, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra?

It was the one element critics consistently praised in 1983.

Which future Oscar-winning composer is credited among the orchestrators?

Newman went on to score American Beauty and Skyfall.

Which member of the cast wanted Han Solo to die in the film?

Kasdan agreed; producer Gary Kurtz suggested Lucas refused partly for merchandising reasons.

Which clash led Anthony Daniels to record his C-3PO dialogue with Lucas instead of the director?

Carrie Fisher also disliked Marquand, who once yelled at her until she cried.

Yoda was originally not going to appear in the film. Who insisted on the return to Dagobah?

He felt audiences would expect it.

What change did the 1997 Special Edition make to the pit creature that swallows Boba Fett?

The Special Edition also swapped the throne-room song and added celebrating planets.

In the 2004 DVD, which actor was inserted as Anakin's Force spirit in the final scene?

Christensen had played Anakin in the prequels.

What controversial line was added to Vader in the 2011 Blu-ray release?

The Ewoks were also given blinking eyes.

How much longer is the Special Edition than the 1983 theatrical cut?

All subsequent releases share the longer runtime.

In what year was Return of the Jedi added to the US National Film Registry?

The Library of Congress deemed it culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.

What CinemaScore grade did audiences give the film?

Metacritic's aggregate score of 58 tells a very different story.

Which studio released Return of the Jedi in 1983?

Lucas personally financed the film, as he had Empire.

Who co-wrote the screenplay with George Lucas?

Kasdan built the shooting script from tape transcripts of a two-week story conference.

Who was the producer of Return of the Jedi, replacing Gary Kurtz?

He also produced Raiders of the Lost Ark and helped persuade a reluctant star to return.

Where was Vader's funeral pyre scene filmed?

Luke cremates his father before the Ewok celebration.

Which director, fresh from an Oscar nomination for The Elephant Man, turned down Return of the Jedi?

He felt Lucas should direct his own creation; David Cronenberg also declined, preferring to film scripts he wrote himself.

Why was Steven Spielberg unable to direct Return of the Jedi despite being Lucas's first choice?

Both men had fallen out with the Directors Guild of America, which led to Spielberg being banned from the project.

Marquand likened directing Jedi to directing which play 'with Shakespeare in the next room'?

Lucas was frequently on set because of Marquand's relative inexperience with special effects.

Who wrote the novelization of Return of the Jedi, released thirteen days before the film?

It hit shelves on May 12, 1983; Foster and Glut had novelized the first two films.

Which uncredited voice actor supplied the voices of both Bib Fortuna and Admiral Ackbar?

On screen Bib Fortuna was played by Michael Carter and Ackbar by Tim Rose.