Return of the Jedi Unauthorized Timeline 1976-2023
Return of the Jedi Unauthorized Timeline 1976-2023
A year-by-year reference guide to the final film in the original Star Wars trilogy. This unauthorized book contains the most comprehensive timeline of dates that have ever been assembled relating to the film Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. From early concepts of Jabba the Hutt in 1976 to the film’s production schedule in 1982 all the way up to the 40th Anniversary of the original theatrical release date in 2023, this book gives the reader a chronological perspective on the making, marketing, and impact of Return of the Jedi.
Inside you’ll find a plethora of specific dates relating to film pre-production, theatrical releases, music, toys, books, comics, home video, television, promotional and marketing campaigns, business contracts, special events, and more! Also included are exclusive production diaries by original Jabba the Hutt operators Dave Barclay and John Coppinger, exclusive photos taken by original Kenner photographer Kim DM Simmons, and a special introduction from original Jedi Producer Jim Bloom.
This book has been compiled from a myriad of resources giving the reader a historical reference guide unlike any other. It is a must-have for every cinephile and Star Wars fan’s collection.
Authors: Justin Berger, Jamie Bennng Illustrator: Pete Starling Publication Date: 30th May 2023 Page Count: 281 ASIN: B0C6W5ZHDH
Last year, Return of the Jedi celebrated 40 years of delighting not only the Star Wars world but the wider world of cinema, entering the zeitgeist with a cornucopia of memorable characters and delivering the perfect denouement to a trilogy that quite literally changed the world. Now, four decades later authors Jamie Benning and Justin Berger delve into the magic of Episode VI, but in a fascinatingly unconventional way; we’re not just digging into the making of Jedi and its legacy but looking back – way back – to those early days of the saga when characters and ideas that would find form on 25th May 1983 were first germinated.
We kick off with a look at the authors as well as a forward by Empire and Jedi Associate producer Jim Bloom (Justin and Jamie are even respectful enough to not correct Jim’s spelling of ‘Wookie’) and then dive right in, back to 1976 and the original Jabba the Hutt scenes for Star Wars, through ’77 and Ralph McQuarrie’s sketches of the Wookiee homeplanet (likely for The Star Wars Holiday Special) that would eventually tweak to become the home of the Ewoks, and on as key members of the Jedi crew join Lucasfilm and ILM and some important matters of business are done; 24th February 1980 sees Lucasfilm and Fox agree on a distribution deal for Star Wars III, while issue 8 of our spiritual forerunner Bantha Tracks gave us the title of Star Wars III – Revenge of the Jedi.
Browsing through the book is a treat, with bite-sized nuggets of information laid down as the dates roll by, all pertinent to Jedi but also to the prior films in the saga (for example, on 20th February the handwritten outline of Lucas’ first draft of Episode VI: Revenge of the Jedi was completed, ahead of the 10th April re-release of A New Hope which established Star Wars as Episode IV, and therefore Empire as V and Jedi as VI). We have dates of sketches, dates of hirings, call sheets, behind-the-scenes images and much more. For information-hungry lovers of Jedi, it’s a feast, presented cleanly and interspersed with chunks of interviews conducted by Jamie on his essential Filmumentaries podcast.
There really are some incredible photographs in here (ever think you’d see Phil Tippett ram a hairdryer down Admiral Ackbar’s throat so Tim Rose could cool down?), and illuminating reveals by the crew. For example, you may not realise that Ben Burtt collected sounds for his library in the UK, but on 1st September 1982 he recorded Big Ben and the London Underground. ‘Year of the Jedi‘ may sound like an extra on a DVD, but in fact it was an internal LFL newsletter, and information like this is abundant as we enter 1983 and the final work on Jedi ahead of its record-breaking release (it even mentions the infamous pirate copies of Jedi that were circulating around the time of the films release).
Return of the Jedi Unauthorized Timeline 1976-2023
Then we get to 1984, the year after Jedi has broken numerous house records and become the third highest-grossing film of all-time behind Star Wars and E.T, (a position it would hold until 1991 when Home Alone nabs the spot) as the saga diversifies into video games and additional waves of action figures, animated shows and TV movies. Little did we know the saga was nearing a brief hibernation (aka the Dark Times), but the legacy of Jedi would prove to be as strong as ever, through video releases, sweepstakes, the death in 1987 of Richard Marquand and more, and in some ways that’s where the book comes into its own, showing the enduring appeal of the movie. The 90’s is arguably where Jedi really starts to shine, despite the 80’s seeing the animated and TV movie spin-offs – as the most recent film sees the score released in the beautiful Anthology box set, the game landing on SNES, Dark Horse publishing the Marvel adaptation, even a public screening in 1994 of Return of the Ewok. West End Games dipped liberally into Jedi lore, while the radio adaptation finally arrived in ’96 just as writer Brian Daley passed.
The 1997 Special Edition gave the film a whole new life, but by then we already knew the saga was going to return in 1999, meaning Jedi was no longer the new kid on the block, but that didn’t stop the influence Jedi had on the saga or pop culture as the 21st century showed. We even get a very handy list of people’s birthdays at the back of the book, along with a look at the layout of Elstree Studios (long since changed into a supermarket car park where the Ewok Village used to be).
For fans of Jedi this is a must-buy, focusing on the film while clearly defining its place in the wider saga, and as the various elements of the nine movies and spin-offs, comics and novels blend together like a used pack of Plasticine, it’s handier than ever to know where Weequays, Niktos and Hutts came from, what the original idea for Ewoks were, why Revenge became Return and who exactly was Dean Preston from Calgary. It’s all here, and you’ll be grateful you bought it.
Exploring the galaxy since 1978, Mark wrote his first fan fiction in 1981 and been a presence online since his first webpage Fanta War in 1996. He's contributed to Star Wars Insider (since '06) and Starburst Magazine (since '16) as well as ILM.com, SkywalkerSound.com, StarWars.com, Star Wars Encyclopedia, Build The Millennium Falcon, Geeky Monkey, TV Film Memorabilia, Model and Collectors Mart, Star Trek magazine and StarTrek.com. He is a four-time Star Wars Celebration Stage host, the only podcaster to have appeared on every Celebration podcast stage since the stage began in 2015, the Daily Content Manager of Fantha Tracks and the co-host of Making Tracks, Canon Fodder and Start Your Engines on Fantha Tracks Radio.
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Return of the Jedi Unauthorized Timeline 1976-2023
Return of the Jedi Unauthorized Timeline 1976-2023
A year-by-year reference guide to the final film in the original Star Wars trilogy. This unauthorized book contains the most comprehensive timeline of dates that have ever been assembled relating to the film Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. From early concepts of Jabba the Hutt in 1976 to the film’s production schedule in 1982 all the way up to the 40th Anniversary of the original theatrical release date in 2023, this book gives the reader a chronological perspective on the making, marketing, and impact of Return of the Jedi.
Inside you’ll find a plethora of specific dates relating to film pre-production, theatrical releases, music, toys, books, comics, home video, television, promotional and marketing campaigns, business contracts, special events, and more! Also included are exclusive production diaries by original Jabba the Hutt operators Dave Barclay and John Coppinger, exclusive photos taken by original Kenner photographer Kim DM Simmons, and a special introduction from original Jedi Producer Jim Bloom.
This book has been compiled from a myriad of resources giving the reader a historical reference guide unlike any other. It is a must-have for every cinephile and Star Wars fan’s collection.
Authors: Justin Berger, Jamie Bennng Illustrator: Pete Starling Publication Date: 30th May 2023 Page Count: 281 ASIN: B0C6W5ZHDH
Last year, Return of the Jedi celebrated 40 years of delighting not only the Star Wars world but the wider world of cinema, entering the zeitgeist with a cornucopia of memorable characters and delivering the perfect denouement to a trilogy that quite literally changed the world. Now, four decades later authors Jamie Benning and Justin Berger delve into the magic of Episode VI, but in a fascinatingly unconventional way; we’re not just digging into the making of Jedi and its legacy but looking back – way back – to those early days of the saga when characters and ideas that would find form on 25th May 1983 were first germinated.
We kick off with a look at the authors as well as a forward by Empire and Jedi Associate producer Jim Bloom (Justin and Jamie are even respectful enough to not correct Jim’s spelling of ‘Wookie’) and then dive right in, back to 1976 and the original Jabba the Hutt scenes for Star Wars, through ’77 and Ralph McQuarrie’s sketches of the Wookiee homeplanet (likely for The Star Wars Holiday Special) that would eventually tweak to become the home of the Ewoks, and on as key members of the Jedi crew join Lucasfilm and ILM and some important matters of business are done; 24th February 1980 sees Lucasfilm and Fox agree on a distribution deal for Star Wars III, while issue 8 of our spiritual forerunner Bantha Tracks gave us the title of Star Wars III – Revenge of the Jedi.
Browsing through the book is a treat, with bite-sized nuggets of information laid down as the dates roll by, all pertinent to Jedi but also to the prior films in the saga (for example, on 20th February the handwritten outline of Lucas’ first draft of Episode VI: Revenge of the Jedi was completed, ahead of the 10th April re-release of A New Hope which established Star Wars as Episode IV, and therefore Empire as V and Jedi as VI). We have dates of sketches, dates of hirings, call sheets, behind-the-scenes images and much more. For information-hungry lovers of Jedi, it’s a feast, presented cleanly and interspersed with chunks of interviews conducted by Jamie on his essential Filmumentaries podcast.
There really are some incredible photographs in here (ever think you’d see Phil Tippett ram a hairdryer down Admiral Ackbar’s throat so Tim Rose could cool down?), and illuminating reveals by the crew. For example, you may not realise that Ben Burtt collected sounds for his library in the UK, but on 1st September 1982 he recorded Big Ben and the London Underground. ‘Year of the Jedi‘ may sound like an extra on a DVD, but in fact it was an internal LFL newsletter, and information like this is abundant as we enter 1983 and the final work on Jedi ahead of its record-breaking release (it even mentions the infamous pirate copies of Jedi that were circulating around the time of the films release).
Return of the Jedi Unauthorized Timeline 1976-2023
Then we get to 1984, the year after Jedi has broken numerous house records and become the third highest-grossing film of all-time behind Star Wars and E.T, (a position it would hold until 1991 when Home Alone nabs the spot) as the saga diversifies into video games and additional waves of action figures, animated shows and TV movies. Little did we know the saga was nearing a brief hibernation (aka the Dark Times), but the legacy of Jedi would prove to be as strong as ever, through video releases, sweepstakes, the death in 1987 of Richard Marquand and more, and in some ways that’s where the book comes into its own, showing the enduring appeal of the movie. The 90’s is arguably where Jedi really starts to shine, despite the 80’s seeing the animated and TV movie spin-offs – as the most recent film sees the score released in the beautiful Anthology box set, the game landing on SNES, Dark Horse publishing the Marvel adaptation, even a public screening in 1994 of Return of the Ewok. West End Games dipped liberally into Jedi lore, while the radio adaptation finally arrived in ’96 just as writer Brian Daley passed.
The 1997 Special Edition gave the film a whole new life, but by then we already knew the saga was going to return in 1999, meaning Jedi was no longer the new kid on the block, but that didn’t stop the influence Jedi had on the saga or pop culture as the 21st century showed. We even get a very handy list of people’s birthdays at the back of the book, along with a look at the layout of Elstree Studios (long since changed into a supermarket car park where the Ewok Village used to be).
For fans of Jedi this is a must-buy, focusing on the film while clearly defining its place in the wider saga, and as the various elements of the nine movies and spin-offs, comics and novels blend together like a used pack of Plasticine, it’s handier than ever to know where Weequays, Niktos and Hutts came from, what the original idea for Ewoks were, why Revenge became Return and who exactly was Dean Preston from Calgary. It’s all here, and you’ll be grateful you bought it.
Exploring the galaxy since 1978, Mark wrote his first fan fiction in 1981 and been a presence online since his first webpage Fanta War in 1996. He's contributed to Star Wars Insider (since '06) and Starburst Magazine (since '16) as well as ILM.com, SkywalkerSound.com, StarWars.com, Star Wars Encyclopedia, Build The Millennium Falcon, Geeky Monkey, TV Film Memorabilia, Model and Collectors Mart, Star Trek magazine and StarTrek.com. He is a four-time Star Wars Celebration Stage host, the only podcaster to have appeared on every Celebration podcast stage since the stage began in 2015, the Daily Content Manager of Fantha Tracks and the co-host of Making Tracks, Canon Fodder and Start Your Engines on Fantha Tracks Radio.
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