A new behind the scenes video celebrating 40 years of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back reveals an alternate version of Han and Leia's kiss on the Millennium Falcon. The 1980 sequel to the movie which changed the history of cinema forever saw Irvin Kershner taking over the directing reins from George Lucas. Lucas came up with the story, however, and Lawrence Kasdan wrote the script. The movie took a much darker tone than the original Star Wars, but was a smash hit nonetheless, bringing in classic franchise characters like Lando Calrissian, Boba Fett, Yoda and the Emperor.
As a result, The Empire Strikes Back is considered by many to be the best movie in the franchise, hailing its epic battle scenes, lightsaber duels and tragic story line. Of course, it also features the infamous reveal of Darth Vader as Luke Skywalker's father, cementing its place in pop culture history as one of the most parodied and referenced movie scenes ever. The Empire Strikes Back also features the first kiss between Han Solo and Leia, which takes place on Solo's iconic ship. But a new video reveals the scene could have gone a little differently.
GMA has released a new behind the scenes video showing some of the challenges and triumphs of the early stages of the production. The video includes a look at the difficulties shooting the tauntaun scene on Hoth in a snow blizzard, as well as a look at the extreme physical challenges Mark Hamill faced when shooting the lightsaber duel with Darth Vader. In addition, George Lucas pays tribute to the acting on Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher in their kissing scene, with the video revealing the scene had an alternate ending. In the movie, the pair kiss and C-3PO interrupts them. In this version, the pair continue talking, with Leia calling Han a "hotshot." You can see the video at the link below:
The difference is small, but significant, revealing a little more about Leia's character, and her conflicted feelings towards Han at that point in the saga. The cut was likely made for the sake of humor, as C-3PO's interruption is a fun way to break the tension and move the action on to the next set piece. It also keeps the romance between Leia and Han in doubt, something the trilogy played with right up until the end of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.
The back and forth between the two characters was one of the most entertaining parts of the original trilogy, and their natural on-screen chemistry was something the franchise hasn't been able to replicate since. This extra line of dialogue is an interesting alternative to the version seen in The Empire Strikes Back and proves there are still surprises from the original trilogy even 40 years later.
Source: GMA