Was the twist in The Empire Strikes Back leaked to the public before the movie's release?
There has been an unprecedented amount of leaks available for the latest Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens, including spoilers for all the twists and plot points. This made me think of The Empire Strikes Back, with the famous twist that
Darth Vader is Luke's father
I'm aware that there was a lot of secrecy during production about this twist with only a handful of people knowing about it. But once the film was finalized and especially when it was available for reviewers screenings, the secret would be more wildly known.
In an age before the internet, was The Empire Strikes Back's major twist leaked to the public in any way?
Best Answer
No. Until the first screening, no one knew what was coming other than George Lucas, Mark Hamil, James Earl Jones, and Irving Kirschner. My father told me that when they saw it in theaters, you could hear the wind sucked out of the room. In the bonus disc for the original trilogy, James Earl Jones said that Lucas had pulled him and Hamil into a room, told them that they would know this secret, and that only Irvin (director) knew of what was going on. Jones said "He's lying" (referring to the line), not understanding how they were going to make the story work. He said the line-"Obi Wan killed your father" while on set, then added the real line later.
Star Wars has had very few leaks-thankfully, those on set seem to understand the joy of movies and not knowing what is coming is a big part of the thrill of watching a film.
Pictures about "Was the twist in The Empire Strikes Back leaked to the public before the movie's release?"
Why did Prowse and Lucas fall out?
In July 2010, Prowse was banned by Lucas from attending official Star Wars fan conventions. Lucas had given Prowse no reason, other than stating that Prowse "burnt too many bridges" between Lucasfilm and himself. In 2011, Prowse wrote and released his autobiography Straight from the Force's Mouth.What was the twist in Empire Strikes Back?
Audiences were blown away by Empire's 'I am your father' twist back in 1980, but Lucas carefully foreshadowed the surprise. Darth Vader's revelation that he's Luke Skywalker's biological father in the climactic scene of The Empire Strikes Back has been hailed as arguably the most iconic plot twist in movie history.Did Mark Hamill know about Darth Vader?
Vader being Luke's father was kept secret by Hamill, George Lucas and director Irvin Kershner, with Hamill only being told moments before the scene was shot.The Empire Strikes Back Uncut: Full Movie (Official)
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Enoch Patro, John Lee, Kelly L, Kelly L