Empire Strikes Back's Original Plan Would've Completely Changed Star Wars
The Empire Strikes Back’s first story treatment was quite different from the theatrical version, with major changes that would affect the entire Star Wars saga. Initially written by Leigh Brackett, the Star Wars film that became The Empire Strikes Back included many similarities to the final version, but one of the key differences is its depiction of Luke Skywalker’s familial relationships. Brackett’s version of Empire Strikes Back would not have included Darth Vader’s iconic twist revelation that he’s Luke’s father, but it would have revealed the identity of Luke’s long-lost twin sister, though it would not have been Leia. This would have major ramifications for Return of the Jedi, the eventual Star Wars prequel trilogy, and its sequel trilogy.
The first concept of a Star Wars sequel, Splinter of the Mind’s Eye, was created in case the 1977 film was unsuccessful. When Star Wars instead became a pop culture phenomenon that forever changed the film industry, Splinter of the Mind’s Eye didn’t go to waste, becoming one of the first stories in the Star Wars Expanded Universe (now known as Legends). In need of a grander-scale sequel to Star Wars and not wanting to be the sole writer for it, George Lucas hired Leigh Brackett to write the upcoming film. Brackett tragically died of cancer while the film was in early development, leading Lucas to polish and modify her story treatment along with Lawrence Kasdan, resulting in the version of The Empire Strikes Back that viewers are familiar with.
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Although George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan made numerous changes to Brackett’s original story treatment, many of her ideas remained in the final version
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