Star Wars: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Chewbacca
2. George Lucas' Dog Inspired His Creation
During the time when George Lucas was writing the first-ever chapter in the galaxy far, far away, the Star Wars creator would often be accompanied by a furry companion of his own.
His sweet Alaskan Malamute, Indiana (the name that would later be used for another iconic Harrison Ford character), would always be sat next to him while he was scribbling away, with the large pooch even sitting in the front seat of his car whenever he went for a drive.
As Lucas would reveal in an issue of Star Wars Galaxy Magazine (via Collider), having his 130lbs canine with him all the time eventually inspired Lucas to "give Han Solo a sidekick who was like a big furry dog."
Lucas would swiftly add that this sidekick wouldn't be "quite like a dog, but intelligent."
2. In The Making of #StarWars, George Lucas says that he came up with “Chewbacca” and other Wookiee names by “changing words around”. No mention of Russian.3 The origin of the Russian words myth appears to be a 2007 website which cites no other sources or quotes.MYTH BUSTED? pic.twitter.com/5kIPOOxPWN
— Phil Szostak (@PhilSzostak) August 6, 2019
Ever wondered what went into naming Solo's best bud, too?
Well, that was seemingly a case of Lucas just changing a few words around to make Wookiee words and liking the sound of "Chewbacca" the best, with the "Wookiee" species getting their name after the improvised line "I think I just ran over a Wookiee" Terry McGovern uttered in Lucas' THX 1138 film.