"The Star Wars" Scripts and Drafts - Adapting to new films

Having looked over the scripts and drafts of A New Hope it is clear that many of the ideas George initally had were either shifted around, were removed from the story or removed because it was technologically impossible at the time. Given the pure mythic and 'fariy-tale-esc' vibe to those scripts to what extent would it be possible to adapt them into new Star Wars films set within a different era without it being a re-hash of the original film? In this way a new 'monomythic' hero would be established within the same universe yet set in a different era. Given the information we have from the films and television series' I think it would be a cool project to try and adapt the scripts into a new era.

This think the 'Story Synopsis' from 1973 could also be adapted:

http://starwarz.com/starkiller/2010/03/the-star-wars-story-synopsis/ 

Firstly if you adapt it to a new era it could work quite well. The impression I get from these scripts seems very Far Eastern, with the landscape and setting of a mythic China or Tibet - this was very much the overall vibe of Ralph McQuarrie's art also. If you were to put this around 10,000 BBY in the timeline, give it a distinctly removed atmosphere from the Saga (like a true "Star Wars" period film), and create a scenario were the Sith wars are continuing and the planet on which this occurs is in occupied territory then I think it is far enough removed from A New Hope.

You could develop the scenario, which I would have implemented with the Prequels, that the Jedi are spread throughout the galaxy like wizards, keeping peace and justice - it could be reasoned that the Jedi had a different structure in the past. In this case the General - who is Luke in the synopsis - is an old Jedi whose planet has been occupied by an evil Empire governed by the Sith (not a purely 'Sith Empire' just an Empire where the Sith are like the Imperial Guard or Aristocracy). The movie could then progress as per the synopsis, implementing many of Ralph McQuarrie's style in the overall atmosphere of the peice.

http://artect.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/mcquarriestarwars03.jpg

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l5f7u6DjsN1qc823io1_500.jpg

http://www.theforce.net/episode2/newspics/rmq-coruscant3.jpg

http://www.theforce.net/episode2/newspics/rmq-coruscant4.jpg

http://www.loresdelsith.net/universo/galaxia/bin/monumentpark.jpg

This would take the Saga back to its mythic routes. It would be partcially a reboot of the franchise only set within another era and would be compatible with the current Saga. Other areas of myth and legend could be explored and the Darth Vader-type character could be another tragic yet unrelated figure to the characters.

A sequel or trilogy could then be developed of the General and his band taking the fight to the 'Sith' Empire which takes them to the heart of the Republic; Coruscant and Alderaan.

Furthermore, in order for the trilogy to not falter from the whole oh-well-we-know-what-happens-ten-thousand-years-later, some philosophical talk could be introduced by the aged General to the main protagonist. Simply put; although evil may return what matters is that peace has been given to your time and that others will travel your journey again to once again stop evil - perhaps even stop it once and for all.

I prefer the idea that the old rough drafts take place in alternate universes. Your idea could work, though. Of course, then you get the problem of repeated people and place names, things like that.

Certainly the scripts (drafts) and the synopsis have many of the same characters and many of the general course of events are consistent throughout. In some respects retaining some of these things adds to the symbolic echoing of the Saga which occurs obviously later in the timeline - but many things would need to be altered. There are many character names throughout the drafts so I wouldn't think 'Luke' or 'Leia' would need to be retained - I had the idea of the 'trilogy' being titled as The Adventures of Kane Starkiller (maybe something alternate to 'Starkiller' however). The rest of the characters would remain somewhat the same in purpose to the story - however that is only because they are there because of the monomythic structure. I also plan on altering some things within the synopsis yet retaining the overall vibe - simply because, especially given that this was a synopsis, it needs some altering to make it a great "Star Wars" film.

Some things I may alter:

• Make the 'general' an old Jedi on the planet Aquilae, who is the 'guardian of peace and justice' on that planet (it will be explained this policy was adopted by the Jedi a few generations prior and that it ultimately causes their near defeat during the war). This means its just the Princess and the two Imperial Bureaucrats who crash on the planet and are found by the 'Gandalf-like' Jedi.
• Have the Jedi and his band battle a dragon on their trek to the spaceport, while their landspeeder is destroyed during the battle with the patrol (this means they have to travel over the mountains on foot)
• Establish a Vader-like figure who at one point battles with the band on their trek.
• Alter the Cantina scene slightly to make it less like A New Hope.
• Change Yavin to another planet where the team crash-land. Here they will be captured by the Imperials, the Jedi is believed dead and will have to battle their way out.
• The Ceremony at the end is essentially like A New Hope only the setting is much more like the staging ground seen for the Emperors entrance in Gladiator. The ceremony will induct the band into the Republic Elite Guard, whilst the Imperial Bureaucrats will ally with the Republic.
• The Imperial-Sith Emperor will be added and the Vader-like figure will be one of his elite guard (the ANCIENT ORDER OF THE SITH LORDS is an ancient guard and aristocracy of the Empire which has returned to avenge their defeat many generations earlier - 25,000 BBY at the birth of the Republic)
• Aquilae will be very much like Tibet with a progression (as they trek) more towards the Scottish Highlands and the New Zealand high alps. The designs will be wooden and anarchic however will be melded with technology (the temple/monastery will partly resemble a smaller wooden Jedi spire seen in the Prequels)
• The band may be condensed with perhaps only Kane surviving.
• Ophuchi will resemble a meld between Ancient Rome and Ralph McQuarrie's designs for Alderaan.
• The Sith designs will be much more samurai-like and less science-fictiony as they are in the established in the EU. 

The sequels will inevitably be about Kane Skywalker battling to defeat the Sith and save the Republic. Ultimately, at one point (and I know I may be in the minority with this) the Prophecy of the Chosen One will be mentioned. There will also be a Gandalf-like discussion between the Jedi and Kane - as mentioned above - where he explains that what matters is that peace is given to your time and that others will travel your journey again to stop evil - and perhaps destroy it once and for all (alluding to Luke's journey and the destruction of the Sith).

The actual film itself would begin (meaning Aquilae) on a planet like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHGSwf15DJo, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6hSK8CluxQ, and progress to, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8g2vA9XwIQ and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pxl14Na3hE&feature=related (obviously 'Star Wars'ed' up)