Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

---

STAR WARS:

Episode IV

A NEW HOPE:

From the

JOURNAL OF THE WHILLS

by

George Lucas

Revised Fourth Draft

January 15, 1976

LUCASFILM LTD.

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.

INT. 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 main reactor. We'll be destroyed

for sure. This is madness!

Rebel troopers rush past the robots and take up positions in

the main passageway. They aim their weapons toward the door.

THREEPIO:

We're doomed!

The little R2 unit makes a series of electronic sounds that

only another robot could understand.

THREEPIO:

There'll be no escape for the Princess

this time.

Artoo continues making beeping sounds. Tension mounts as

loud metallic latches clank and the scream of heavy equipment

are heard moving around the outside hull of the ship.

THREEPIO:

What's that?

EXT. SPACECRAFT IN SPACE

The Imperial craft has easily overtaken the Rebel Blockade

Runner. The smaller Rebel ship is being drawn into the

underside dock of the giant Imperial starship.

INT. REBEL BLOCKADE RUNNER

The nervous Rebel troopers aim their weapons. Suddenly a

tremendous blast opens up a hole in the main passageway and

a score of fearsome armored spacesuited stormtroopers make

their way into the smoke-filled corridor.

In a few minutes the entire passageway is ablaze with

laserfire. The deadly bolts ricochet in wild random patterns

creating huge explosions. Stormtroopers scatter and duck

behind storage lockers. Laserbolts hit several Rebel soldiers

who scream and stagger through the smoke, holding shattered

arms and faces.

An explosion hits near the robots.

THREEPIO:

I should have known better than to

trust the logic of a half-sized

thermocapsulary dehousing assister...

Artoo counters with an angry rebuttal as the battle rages

around the two hapless robots.

EXT. TATOOINE - DESERT WASTELAND - DAY

A death-white wasteland stretches from horizon to horizon.

The tremendous heat of two huge twin suns settle on a lone

figure, Luke Skywalker, a farm boy with heroic aspirations

who looks much younger than his eighteen years. His shaggy

hair and baggy tunic give him the air of a simple but lovable

lad with a prize-winning smile.

A light wind whips at him as he adjusts several valves on a

large battered moisture vaporator which sticks out of the

desert floor much like an oil pipe with valves. He is aided

by a beatup tread-robot with six claw arms. The little robot

appears to be barely functioning and moves with jerky motions.

A bright sparkle in the morning sky catches Luke's eye and

he instinctively grabs a pair of electrobinoculars from his

utility belt. He stands transfixed for a few moments studying

the heavens, then dashed toward his dented, crudely repaired

Landspeeder (an auto-like transport that travels a few feet

above the ground on a magnetic-field). He motions for the

tiny robot to follow him.

LUKE:

Hurry up! Come with me! What are you

waiting for?! Get in gear!

The robot scoots around in a tight circle, stops short, and

smoke begins to pour out of every joint. Luke throws his

arms up in disgust. Exasperated, the young farm boy jumps

into his Landspeeder leaving the smoldering robot to hum

madly.

INT. REBEL BLOCKADE RUNNER - MAIN HALLWAY

Rate this script:3.9 / 11 votes