Secrets of the Force

by Edward Gross

  Altman has spoken at numerous industry events and conventions, including ShowBiz Expo as well as the Variety/Final Draft Screenwriters Panel at the Cannes Film Festival. He was a juror at the prestigious Sitges Film Festival in Barcelona, Spain. He has been a frequent guest and panelist at Comic-Con held annually in San Diego, California, and a two-time juror for the Comic-Con Film Festival. He is also a graduate of the Writers Guild of America Showrunners Training Program and a member of the Television Academy. You can sign up for email updates here.

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  DATALOG

  TITLE PAGE

  COPYRIGHT NOTICE

  DEDICATIONS

  THE SAGA

  A NEW HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL by Mark A. Altman

  “You don’t need to see his identification.”

  A GREAT DISTURBANCE IN THE FORCE by Edward Gross

  “Rebellions are built on hope.”

  PART ONE

  A STAR (WARS) IS BORN

    1.  LAUNCH BAY ’77

  “You came in that thing? You’re braver than I thought.”

  PART TWO

  THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY

  1977–1983

    2.  HOPE & GLORY: STAR WARS

  “Never tell me the odds!”

    3.  LIGHT & MAGIC: THE VISUAL EFFECTS

  “That’s no moon, it’s a space station.”

    4.  EARLY BIRD SPECIAL: SELLING STAR WARS

  “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”

    5.  TOY STORY: MERCHANDISING STAR WARS

  “In my experience, there’s no such thing as luck.”

    6.  TO BEA OR NOT TO BEA: THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL

  “We have to get Chewie home for Life Day.”

    7.  ICE, ICE, BABY: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

  “Do. Or do not. There is no try.”

    8.  CELEBRATE THE LOVE: RETURN OF THE JEDI

  “I’ll never turn to the dark side. You’ve failed, Your Highness.

  I am a Jedi, like my father before me.”

    9.  ISN’T THAT SPECIAL?: WARS AFTER JEDI

  “Prince Xizor, who knew?”

  PART THREE

  THE PREQUELS

  1999–2005

  10.  DUEL OF THE FATES: THE PHANTOM MENACE

  “And you, Young Skywalker, we will watch your career with great interest.”

  11.  SEND IN THE CLONES: ATTACK OF THE CLONES

  “Begun, the Clone War has.”

  12.  SITH HAPPENS: REVENGE OF THE SITH

  “I have waited a long time for this moment, my little green friend. At last, the Jedi are no more.”

  PART FOUR

  THE SEQUELS AND BEYOND

  2012–

  13.  FORCE FED: THE FORCE AWAKENS

  “Chewie, we’re home.”

  14.  REY OF HOPE: THE LAST JEDI

  “This is not going to go the way you think.”

  15.  THE SKYWALKER’S THE LIMIT: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

  “I have died before. The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be … unnatural.”

  16.  THIS IS THE WAY: STAR WARS ON TELEVISION

  “I will help you. I have spoken.”

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  PREVIOUS BOOKS FROM THE AUTHORS

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  COPYRIGHT

  This book was not prepared, approved, licensed, or endorsed by Lucasfilm Ltd. or Walt Disney Company, or any other entity involved in creating or producing the Star Wars motion pictures or television series. The opinions expressed within solely represent those of the authors or those interviewed.

  First published in the United States by St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group

  SECRETS OF THE FORCE. Copyright © 2021 by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.

  www.stmartins.com

  Cover design by Ervin Serrano

  Cover images: galaxy © sripfoto/Shutterstock.com; stars © Art Furnace; Carrie Fisher © Jean-Jacques LAPEYRONNIE/Getty Images; Mark Hamill © Alain Dejean/Getty Images

  The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:

  Names: Altman, Mark A., author. | Gross, Edward (Edward A.), author.

  Title: Secrets of the force: the complete, uncensored, unauthorized oral history of Star wars / Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross.

  Description: First edition. | New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2021.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2021006897 | ISBN 9781250236876 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781250236883 (ebook)

  Subjects: LCSH: Star Wars films—History and criticism.

  Classification: LCC PN1995.9.S695 A456 2021 | DDC 791.43/7509—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021006897

  eISBN 9781250236883

  Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.

  First Edition: 2021