Star Wars: A New Hope script
STAR WARS
Episode IV
A NEW HOPE
From the JOURNAL OF THE WHILLS
by George Lucas
Revised Fourth Draft
January 15, 1976
LUCASFILM LTD.
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A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away...
A vast sea of stars serves as the backdrop for the main
title. War drums echo through the heavens as a rollup
slowly crawls into infinity.
It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a
hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic
Empire.
During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the
Empire's ultimate weapon, the Death Star, an armored space station
with enough power to destroy an entire planet.
Pursued by the Empire's sinister agents, Princess Leia races home
aboard her starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save her
people and restore freedom to the galaxy...
The awesome yellow planet of Tatooine emerges from a total
eclipse, her two moons glowing against the darkness. A tiny
silver spacecraft, a Rebel Blockade Runner firing lasers from
the back of the ship, races through space. It is pursed by a
giant Imperial Stardestroyer. Hundreds of deadly laserbolts
streak from the Imperial Stardestroyer, causing the main solar
fin of the Rebel craft to disintegrate.
INTERIOR: REBEL BLOCKADE RUNNER -- MAIN PASSAGEWAY.
An explosion rocks the ship as two robots, Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2)
and See-Threepio (C-3PO) struggle to make their way through the
shaking, bouncing passageway. Both robots are old and battered.
Artoo is a short, claw-armed tripod. His face is a mass of
computer lights surrounding a radar eye. Threepio, on the
other hand, is a tall, slender robot of human proportions. He
has a gleaming bronze-like metallic surface of an Art Deco
design.
Another blast shakes them as they struggle along their
way.
THREEPIO: Did you hear that? They've shut down the...