Return of the Ewok

The Ewok's Encore is a short, 24-minute parody presented as a documentary, featuring Warwick Davis. Davis is known for his role as the Ewok Wicket W. Warrick in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi as well as the Ewok spin-off films. Davis and David Tomblin, who served as the first assistant director on Return of the Jedi, collaborated on its creation. Tomblin took on the role of director. Lucasfilm Ltd. initially intended it as a promotional piece for Return of the Jedi, but the film's post-production phase was never brought to completion. The movie unfolds across both the "real world" and various fictional settings within the Star Wars narrative. The "real world" includes locations such as an airport, Elstree Studios, and the dressing rooms of the actors. The fictional settings include Dagobah, the Death Star II, Jabba's Palace, and the forest Moon of Endor. These two distinct realms are interwoven throughout the film, giving rise to an alternative reality.

Plot summary

Return of the Ewok centers its narrative around a fictionalized version of Davis's decision to pursue acting and his subsequent role as Wicket in Return of the Jedi. It also depicts his transformation into the character of Wicket. The film was captured on Tomblin's personal 16mm camera during the production of Return of the Jedi. In the film, Davis, both as himself and as Wicket, interacts with various members of the cast and crew, as well as characters from the movie. As Warwick, he visits Elstree Studios, engaging with the cast both in and out of character. At one point, he even shares a moment with Luke Skywalker as the character emerges from a movie screen. As Wicket, he journeys to Dagobah to meet Yoda, encounters Darth Vader on the Death Star, and finds himself pursued by Boba Fett.

Production

David Tomblin originated the concept for Return of the Ewok, and George Lucas provided the funding. However, Warwick Davis would later joke that the short film operated on a virtually nonexistent budget. Davis recounts that "[Tomblin] kept thinking of it in the night, he used to jump up and write little bits. Eventually, he ended up with this whole story, and we made this little film." Tomblin shared with Starlog magazine, "At lunch times, I would rush around and try and shoot pieces for it."

Legacy

The original 16 mm copy of Return of the Ewok is reportedly lost. For many years, the only known version was a VHS copy owned by Warwick Davis. In 1999, he lent this copy to Lucasfilm, enabling them to create their own duplicate. The 2004 DVD release of the original trilogy featured a bonus disc that included an easter egg of bloopers, showcasing a high-quality clip from Return of the Ewok where Wicket is pursued by Boba Fett on the Death Star. In April 2005, a four-minute edited version of the film was made available on the official Star Wars website for members of the Hyperspace fan club. (That year, the film was an entry in the Lucasfilm-sponsored Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards, where it received the Pioneer Award.) Excerpts of high quality from the film were incorporated into "Warwick & Son', a featurette accompanying the 2020 home video edition of Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker.

Davis initially presented the film publicly at the first Star Wars Celebration in 1999. Subsequent screenings took place at both Celebration II in 2002 and Celebration III in 2005. The film's UK premiere occurred at the National Space Centre in Leicester during the Star Wars day convention on November 12, 2005.

In 2011, Davis co-created and starred in Life's Too Short, a TV series produced by HBO and BBC. This series also employs a mockumentary style to chronicle the actor's life as an adult.

Credits

Sources

Notes and references

External links

  • Return of the Ewok at the Internet Movie Database
  • Entry - At the BFI Film and Television database

Appearances