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A rare, bound second draft script from the production of Irvin Kershner's Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, featuring the secret revelation for the first time. Very few second draft copies were ever distributed, with this one issued to the film's assistant production manager, Patricia Carr.
Following the death of original screenwriter Leigh Brackett, George Lucas took over writing duties and produced this second draft, dated "April 1978". While much of the film's structure was in place, this version includes several fascinating early differences in dialogue and description. Notably, Yoda is described as a "blue creature" upon his introduction on page 56, and Luke does not lose his hand during his duel with Darth Vader in the climactic scenes.
Most significant, however, is the blank space left on page 114, marking the point of Vader's shocking revelation. In Brackett's first draft, Luke's father appeared as a separate character known as "Skywalker", who accompanied Ben Kenobi through the Force. By this second draft, Lucas had decided that Vader and Luke's father were one and the same, but to preserve secrecy and prevent leaks, this beat was deliberately omitted from the script, leaving the space blank.
This was also the first instance in which a Lucasfilm script bore the red-ink security stamps on its pages, a measure later used throughout the Star Wars saga to control the distribution of sensitive material. The script comprises 121 pages, held in a ring binder.
The script exhibits discolouration and minor tearing consistent with age and production use, particularly around the punched holes. Dimensions: 12.5" x 9.75" x 1.5" (31.5 cm x 25 cm x 4 cm)
Estimate: $5,000 - 10,000This item comes with a Propstore Certificate of Authenticity.