20 Mind-Blowing Facts About Star Wars

12. The Twist In The Empire Strikes Back Was So Secret It Wasn't In The Script (Or Performed On Set)

Back in the 70s, when The Empire Strikes Back was being made, Lucas was so desperate to keep what is probably the most famous movie twist of all time a secret that he went to extreme lengths. It's difficult to imagine a world in which Luke Skywalker's parentage is a secret to anybody, and the Star Wars creator knew then just how big a reveal it would be. For a start, the twist wasn't in the script, so none of the cast and very few of the crew actually knew about it. On top of that, the words €œI am your father€ were never spoken on set €“ instead, the actor playing Vader said €œObi-Wan killed your father€ (which is true €“ from a certain point of view). Mark Hamill was told just before they shot his reaction to the twist, and was warned by the film's director that if the twist got out they'd be able to trace it back to him.
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Commonly found reading, sitting firmly in a seat at the cinema (bottle of water and a Freddo bar, please) or listening to the Mountain Goats.