Film outtakes are a glorious thing. They can show favorite or well-known characters in odd scenarios: sometimes we see situations and scenes we’ve never seen before, other times we see alternate takes on well-known script lines – and sometimes we just plain see the actors flub their lines, often to hilarious, frustrating, or hilariously frustrating effect.
The world of ‘Star Wars’ is certainly no different in this entertainment-related regard; throughout over 40 years of seeing the franchise in films and television, plenty of lines have been missed, misread, and misfired. Through the beauty of home video, fans have been able to witness many of these “axed takes,” but every so often, the powers-that-be behind the franchise will pull out some never-before-seen footage and surprise us.
Such was the case at this past weekend’s Star Wars Celebration convention, where John Knoll, Chief Creative Officer of Industrial Light & Magic, hosted a panel and presented the audience with a few old-school goodies. First up – and getting a good rise out of the crowd when they saw it – is Angus MacInnes, the actor who played the X-Wing pilot known as Gold Leader in the first Star Wars film, ‘A New Hope.’ MacInnes is shown in his space-battle-buffeted X-Win, spewing out his lines, when suddenly he misses a read of one, and offers a rather blue apology:
Another hidden gem offered by Knoll at the panel was an extended take of Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, verbally sparring with Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin as she watches the Empire decimate her home planet of Alderaan. Take a look:
Surprising that after all this time, there is still footage from these films that audiences have never seen! It certainly makes one wonder what else is out there that is still hidden away…
Tony Schaab wonders who would win in an epic, Gladiator-style fight between the Grumpy Cat and the “This is Fine” Dog – an animal-heavy meme battle for the ages! A lover of most things sci-fi and horror, Tony is an author by day and a DJ by night. Come hang out with Tony on Twitter to hear him spew semi-funny nonsense and get your opportunity to finally put him in his place.
