While many have bemoaned Lucas’ habit of changing his Star Wars films and locking away the original versions, the director has always had a very strong belief in realizing his original vision without compromise. In fact, Lucas once believed so strongly in preserving his authorial intent, he went so far as to steal a workprint from Warner Bros. in order to prevent studio meddling.
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The film is one of his more obscure works now, but back in 1971, Lucas was working on THX 1138, a science fiction film that would be his directorial debut. Unfortunately for the up-and-coming Lucas, Warner Bros. wasn’t happy with how the project was shaping up and asked for a series of changes that Lucas immediately rejected. The creative differences between the two parties become so heated, that Lucas was afraid that Warner Bros. might try to take the film from him and give it to an editor without his blessing. So, the director formulated a plan with his friend Matthew Robbins in order to keep the film safe. The team waited for another Executive screening of the film, which they expected to go poorly and put their plan into action.
Sending someone up to impersonate an editor, they waited until the screening was done and then smuggled the workprint of THX 1138 out of the projection booth and into a nearby car, driving away with Lucas’ original cut of the film. THX 1138 was later released to impressive reviews but an underwhelming box office performance. Lucas himself never fully got over the experience, telling friends he felt “cruelly used” by the studio.
Still, THX 1138 went on to help boost his reputation as a solid director with real vision, and much of the work that went into THX 1138 later went on to influence the creation of Star Wars. The incident also reportedly gave Lucas his strong inclinations toward perfecting his editing free of outside interference, which has doubtlessly been one of his defining attributes as a creator ever since.
The Star Wars saga is now available on Disney Plus.
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Source: Inverse
