Mace Windu

Whilst digging about the Internet, I found the story of the making of Star Wars (Ep4). This is an excert from the story I read:

Lucas emerged in May of 1973 with a 13-page treatment that was, by many accounts, unreadable. According to Biskind, Lucas' outline began with the following tongue twister: "This is the story of Mace Windu, a revered Jedi-bendu of Opuchi who was related to Usby C.J. Thape, padawaan learner of the famed Jedi." Mark Hamill would remember the original title of the screenplay as The Adventures of Luke Skywalker as taken from the Journal of the Whills: Saga One: The Star Wars.

I had no idea that Mace Windu was older than the OT and was originally the main character some 4 years before Star Wars emerged. I always thought that he was a creation just for the PT. I'm sorry if this is old news but it has surprised me.

What does this perhaps tell us about Lucas' ideas and characters, that have been used solely in the PT, that he had before the original Star Wars was even made?

 

Well, the Mace Windu he was writing about then wasn't neccesarily the same Mace Windu we know and love now. It was just a name. So I don't think it would be fair to say that "Mace Windu used to be the main character."


Rick McCallum loves you!

 

Read the quote:
This is the story of Mace Windu

Sounds to me like its implying hes the main character.

I take what you mean about it not being the same character, its just that the exact name is quoted, surprised me a bit. I was wondering if anyone else knew of other PT characters or places that have only been used in the PT, but were around from before the OT.

 

I don´t know any, but it´s interesting to know that the term padawan learner also hails from that time.

 

Yes, Mace Windu is the main character... just not OUR Mace Windu.

We have Mace Windu v2.0... the old script is the story of Mace Windu v1.0.


It is important to not think of CHARACTERS, or PEOPLE, or PLACES, as being taken from old scripts. Think of them as IDEAS.

Lucas paints with a broad brush, if you take my meaning. Luke Skywalker by any other name would still be Luke; the ANH story is about growing up, and adventure, and good vs. evil, not the specifics of a farmboy who went to a cantina and then a space station and then wore an ugly yellow jacket.

The Mace Windu you are reading about in that script is really more like a Luke with a different name.



Rick McCallum loves you!

 

Man, Adam, you're really gonna screw with the 'Completists' with that one...

 

Actually, there are two Mace Windus in the Star Wars galaxy. The name from the old scripts was used in the Expanded Universe in one of the Adventure Journals back in 1996. Macemillian-winduarte' the Squib, or Mace Windu for short. He ended up stuck on Tatooine and owing a Jawa money; him and the Jawa ended up working with some other Jawas, and barely escaped the destruction of the sandcrawel that the Empire destroyed.

Then, of course, we have the Mace Windu from the films, who is obviously much different.

The name from the old scripts not only led to the creation of a character in the EU, but to the creation of a character for the films. Must've been a popular name...

It's just a case of more than one character having the same name in the galaxy, sorta like how it is here on earth. I know I'm not the only Matt Ousley even in my state, let alone the whole world.

 

The original version of Chewbacca was a big green lizard. Lucas just always likes to re-use ideas and names and themes until he fits them in. He probably remembered the Mace Windu name from the original SW treatment, and used it in TPM.

 

Ya, I think Mace Windu is just the name. Probably didn't like it and canned it for ANH, but came back and used it for the PT.

 

It is important to not think of CHARACTERS, or PEOPLE, or PLACES, as being taken from old scripts. Think of them as IDEAS.

The Mace Windu you are reading about in that script is really more like a Luke with a different name.

Thats the way I am looking at it. Just thought it was intersting that a name could be regergatated (spelling please ?) so many years after the OT.

Actually, there are two Mace Windus in the Star Wars galaxy.

I don't like to think that Lucas is writing about two different people of the same name with differing lives, it IMO isn't Star Wars

 

Don't forget Mace, Cindel's brother, from both of the Ewok Adventures: Caravan of Courage and The Battle for Endor.

 

Jar Jar Binks is in The ESB

 

Cool beans.

 

Pretty cool stuff. I heard about the name "Mace Windu" being tossed around when they were worknig on Episode IV.

 

Jar Jar Binks is in The ESB

?

 

Jar Jar Binks is in The ESB

He is? Where?

 

for the record Adam,
I do NOT love Mace Windu lol

 

Jar Jar Binks is in The ESB

He is? Where?

To quote another member's erstwhile sig:

Luke: I feel like... (whips around and draws blaster) ... like we're being watched!
Jar Jar: WAHHHHH GAHHHHHH WAAHHHHHH GAAAAAAHHH DON'T SHOOT MESA!

 

mace windu was the first character GL created way back when.....


...the cloner

 

Interestingly, the first Star Wars story synopsis from May 1973 (which was very different from the final film) only names one character: an older general called Luke Skywalker. Mace Windu was probably an earlier idea that never got to script stage.

There are quite a few other names in the early drafts that appeared later on, including Valorum, Bink (as in Jar Jar Binks), and Cleig (as in Cleig Lars).

The main character in one draft (who later became Luke) was called Annikin, and the Towani name (from the Ewok movies) also appeared earlier. Check out this site for some fascinating info on the early scripts:

http://www.starwarz.com/starkiller

 

Jar Jar Binks is in The ESB

He is? Where?

Looks like someone is once again confusing "Gungan" and "Gundark."

You'd think that after Episode II, with the whole "nest of gundarks" conversation, this would no longer happen.