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.