Leigh
Brackett's The Empire Strikes Back
When Lucas
set out to make a sequel to Star Wars, he hired Leigh
Brackett to write the script. Lucas wrote a treatment of the story,
and then from November 28 to December 2, 1977, met with Brackett
for story conferences. Then, based on Lucas’s treatment
and notes from the conferences, Brackett wrote the script. She
died just as she was finishing it. Her draft went in a different
direction than what Lucas wanted, and he had to rewrite it, this
time with help from Lawrence Kasdan.
The only
source available on Brackett’s draft is from Laurent Bouzereau’s
Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays, which details many
of the differences between it and the final film.
The goal
here is to produce a script of The Empire Strikes Back
screenplay that is closest to Leigh Brackett's first draft as
possible. The following work is purely a fan creation. This is
not the actual draft that Brackett wrote. This fan script will
be posted in segments.
Part
1
STAR WARS SEQUEL
By Leigh Brackett, as speculated by fans
EXT. ICE PLANET
- PLAINS - DAY
Snow covered
plains stretch as far as the eye can see. A figure riding a snow
lizard comes upon the bottom of a ridge. It is HAN SOLO, whose
face peaks out from under layers of clothing protecting him from
the cold. Suddenly, a garbled voice speaks out from his comlink.
LUKE (voice
over): Han, do you copy?
Han grabs the
comlink from his belt.
HAN: What is
it kid?
We see LUKE
up at the top of the ridge, also riding a snow lizard.
LUKE: I'll
meet you back at the base.
HAN: What is
it?
LUKE: I'm just
gonna check out an ice formation up ahead. You go on back without
me.
HAN: Sure thing,
kid, but don't forget - our orders were to just go to the ridge
- not past it.
LUKE: I won't
be long.
Luke turns
off his comlink and tucks it into his belt. Back below him, Han
turns around and starts back.
Luke directs
his snow lizard down the opposite side of the ridge. An ice formation
can be seen in the distance. He says to his snow lizard,
LUKE: Not too
much farther.
But before
they can get any farther, the snow lizard panics, freezing in
its tracks, and cries out. Suddenly, the ground directly beneath
them starts to move and they sink a few feet into the snow. Out
of the ground comes a wampa, a large white beast that can "swim"
in the snow. The wampa knocks Luke off his snow lizard and he
tumbles into the snow. The wampa lunges for the snow lizard, but
it manages to run away. It then lunges for Luke, who has begun
to crawl away. It knocks him unconcious.
WIPE TO:
EXT. ICE PLANET
- REBEL BASE
The rebel base
is a castle made out of ice. It's a natural structure of great
beauty, made up of domes and spires, hooded gun emplacements,
and radar towers invisible from above.
Han approaches
the ice castle on his snow lizard. He reaches a blank wall of
ice, hardly distinguishable as an entrance, which slides, allowing
him to enter.
INT. ICE PLANET
- REBEL BASE - MAIN CHAMBER
The door opens
into the main chamber, which opens into a number of other chambers
and halls, all built into the hollowed out ice. Elevators connect
to the different levels of the base.
There's a lot
of commotion in the chamber, with rebels and droids going in every
direction. He seems to know exactly where he's going, and passes
through a series of halls. Eventually, he goes through a door
into the
INT. ICE PLANET
- REBEL BASE - WAR ROOM
The war room
is a large circular chamber. The room is dark, except for the
glow of panels and a holographic three-dimensional rendition of
the galaxy that takes up a large portion of the room, projected
above the heads of many rebels. It gives us the impression that
we're in space.
Many rebels
are present in the chamber, and all of them direct their attention
to REBEL COMMANDER WILLARD in the middle of the room. He's an
older man, and has been speaking ever since Han entered the room.
Also present are GENERAL DODONNA and the two droids, ARTOO and
THREEPIO, who are working at the panels displaying calculations.
WILLARD: We
are here...
He points to
a portion of space.
WILLARD: (cont.)
...the fourth planet of this detached system at the edge of Granita
Clusta.
Han makes his
way around the edge of the room, apparently looking for someone.
Most of the
holographic map shifts to red, and WILLARD continues.
WILLARD: The
red indicates all territory still controlled by the Empire. Despite
the destruction of the Death Star and the fact that many systems
have joined the Rebellion, we're still very weak and very vulnerable.
Willard is
distracted by Han, who is still making his way through the crowd.
WILLARD: You're
late, Solo.
All heads turn
to Han. Before he can utter a word, another voice sounds from
behind him.
VOICE: I'll
handle him, Commander.
Han turns around
to find PRINCESS LEIA. Han smiles at her, though her expression
is serious. Willard continues speaking.
Threepio gives
the robotic equivalent of a chuckle and turns to Artoo.
THREEPIO: He's
as undisciplined as you are.
Artoo chirps
a response.
THREEPIO: Oh,
of course I realize how serious this situation is. I worry about
the Empire as much as anyone. The Rebellion has taken a huge chance
with this new base.
Artoo beeps.
INT. ICE PLANET
- REBEL BASE - HALLWAY
Han and Leia stand in the middle of the hallway, already deep
into their conversation.
HAN: How many
more times do I have to say no? The last time he and I spoke,
we weren't exactly on good terms.
LEIA: Han,
the Rebellion needs Ovan Marekal. Do you want the Empire to get
to him first? He's one of the most powerful traders in the galaxy
and the head of Tranport Guild. You're the only one-
HAN: (interrupting)
Who knows where he is. I know. The only Rebel that is. Maybe the
Empire already got to him.
LEIA: We have
to take that chance. The future of the Alliance depends on it.
HAN: I swore
to never to talk to that man again and I wouldn't blame him if
he felt the same way about me.
LEIA: Can you
stop thinking about yourself for a second and realize what's at
stake?
HAN: I know
what's at stake, but it's not my responsibility!
Han storms
off down the hall.
WIPE TO:
Continued
in Part 2
Star
Wars: The Lost Episodes
