Star Wars Fan Film Imagines the Origins of a Major Franchise Monster

Screen Rant

By Chris Agar

Published Mar 15, 2019

A new Star Wars fan film, Birth of a Monster, imagines a creative and heartfelt origin for one of the franchise's most famous creatures.

A Star Wars fan film imagines an origin story for a famous franchise monster. Ever since audiences were first introduced to the galaxy far, far away back in 1977, the Star Wars property has become one of the most influential of all-time. It goes without saying that several aspiring filmmakers were inspired to pick up a camera after becoming immersed in George Lucas' world. That doesn't just go for the Hollywood directors fortunate enough to add to the franchise's canon via Disney's new movies and upcoming television shows. Everyone from J.J. Abrams to passionate amateur directors have been touched by the magic of Star Wars.

Star Wars fan films have been around for decades, allowing people an opportunity to create their own narratives and play out new adventures. Lucasfilm's wholly embraced fan films and even has an awards ceremony for them, recognizing the impressive creativity that goes into each one. People certainly enjoy checking them out, and one of the latest ones to hit the scene is certainly worth watching.

Posted by YouTube channel Escape Velocity Content is a 20-minute fan film entitled Birth of a Monster: A Star Wars Story (obviously taking a cue from Disney's anthology line of films). Directed by Tim Martin, it stars Martin's son Zander as a young boy affectionately called "Little Sir" by his loyal droid companion, 0-TK (voiced by Star Wars Rebels' Steve Blum). While scavenging the Tatooine desert to find materials for Big Boss (Linda Michaels), the two make a discovery that'll greatly impact their lives. Check out the film in the space below:

Viewers have to wait until the movie's final moments to understand the meaning of the title. In the last scene, the protagonist is visited by none other than Bib Fortuna, appearing at the behest of Jabba the Hutt. When they enter the cave, the rancor appears, causing Fortuna's eyes to light up. It becomes readily apparent "Little Sir" is meant to be Return of the Jedi's rancor trainer as a child. The twist plays into classic Star Wars themes and tropes. By chance, an orphan living on a desert planet came across something that ended up benefitting his life. "Little Sir" was able to rise out of poverty by accepting Jabba's offer of wealth and shelter and lived in the Hutt's palace for years. It also adds some emotional resonance to the famous scene from Jedi, where the trainer is weeping after the rancor's death. The monster was his friend for a very long time.

Of course, this isn't official Star Wars canon, but since the origins of the rancor are unlikely to be covered in any upcoming materials from Disney, many fans may choose to imagine this is what happened. Birth of a Monster is a sweet and touching story about perseverance and overcoming adversity, and the production values are exceptional. All of the props, costumes, and sets/locations look like they were taken right from a Star Wars film, making it all the more entertaining to watch. The Star Wars fan film landscape has a plethora of entries, but this is definitely one viewers should take the time to see.