The Empire Strikes Back (lost original Darth Vader line from "I am your Father" scene of space opera film sequel; 1980)

The film's theatrical poster.

Status: Lost

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) is the second - and generally considered the best - film in the original Star Wars trilogy, and contains one of the most iconic plot twists in movie history: that villain Darth Vader is, in fact, the father of hero Luke Skywalker. Vader reveals this himself to Luke in a climactic scene, in the finished film intoning simply that "I am your father." However, in an effort to avoid spoiling the twist prior to the film's release, the producers & director inserted an entirely different twist into the script for the scene. The footage of this alternate take is currently lost.

Background

As the log-awaited sequel to the blockbuster hit Star Wars IV: A New Hope, Empire was naturally subjwct to intense media and fan scrutiny. Rumours of a juicy plot twist in the making had begun to circulate well in advance of filming the final scene, and Lucas & co feared it leaking to the extent that they refused to divulge it even to the cast and crew until it was absolutely necessary, and then only to those involved in filming. As part of this effort, the scripted reveal handed out to all was "You don't know the truth - Obi-Wan killed your father." Actor Mark Hamill duly reacted to this in the full belief that it was the final version.

It was only later, on a carefully closed set, that Hamill was told what the actual line would be. The reshoot commenced immediately afterwards; this had the added bonus of helping give his performance the air of genuinely shocked bewilderment that helps make the scene so memorable to this day.

Hamill and Vader's voice actor, James Earl Jones (who fortunately recorded his lines separately from the rest of the production) were the only two castmembers to know the true twist, and managed to keep their secret successfully for the entire one and a half years prior to the film's premiere. According to Hamil, they were under stern warning from the producers, who pointed out that if the news ever did leak, the two actors would be the prime suspects.^[1]

Graham Norton Show Interview

In The Graham Norton Show in 2017 as part of the prmotional tour for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Hamill revealed the original line and the cast's surprised reactions at the premiere, notably including Harrison Ford: "Hey kid, you didn't f***ing tell me that."

Availability

The version of the scene containing the decoy line - along with any audio of Jones recording it - is currently lost, rather surprisingly given its key spot in Star Wars history. Given which it is possible the film/audio still exists in a Lucasfilm/Disney vault, waiting for the right moment to be released.

Gallery

Images

A Screenshot of the iconic "I am your Father" scene as released.

Footage

The iconic "I am your Father" scene.

The poorly made reconstruction of the scene with the alternate line.

The Mark Hamill interview on The Graham Norton Show that mentions the alternate line.

Videos

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References

↑ Mark Hamill's tweet about him keeping the plot twist a secret for over a year. Retrieved 29 Mar '22

[1] Mark Hamill's tweet about him keeping the plot twist a secret for over a year. Retrieved 29 Mar '22

[1]