Return of the Jedi (radio)

Return of the Jedi is a radio adaptation presented in six parts, based on Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. It represents the third installment in the Star Wars radio dramatizations that adapt the original trilogy. This audio drama was a production of HighBridge Audio, the same entity responsible for releasing the initial two series on both tape and CD formats, in collaboration with Tom Voegeli Productions and L.A. Theatre Works from NPR. It was nationally aired on National Public Radio across the United States during a six-week period in the latter part of 1996.

This audio drama was created more than a decade following the initial two radio series, namely Star Wars (1981) and The Empire Strikes Back (1983). Due to reductions in federal funding, NPR was unable to produce the trilogy's concluding part. However, strong sales of the recordings of the first two dramas gave HighBridge the confidence to create a fresh radio adaptation. Lucasfilm once again contributed the rights and permitted the utilization of the movie's sound effects and the musical composition by John Williams. The majority of the original cast and crew members were able to reprise their roles, except for Mark Hamill and Billy Dee Williams, the Star Wars film actors, whose roles were subsequently recast. The script became the final piece for seasoned Star Wars writer Brian Daley, who passed away on the day recording concluded.

Given that the Return of the Jedi audio drama was produced thirteen years after the motion picture upon which it was based, it was able to integrate several references to recent aspects of the Expanded Universe. Among these are a cameo appearance by Mara Jade, disguised as Arica, within Jabba's Palace, alongside mentions of events from Shadows of the Empire. In the same vein as the other radio dramas, Return of the Jedi incorporates additional scenes and dialogue to the content adapted from the film.

Development

Conception

The making of the radio adaptation of Return of the Jedi experienced a thirteen-year delay because of Congressional reductions in funding for public broadcasting. Despite NPR's lack of funding to produce the drama, the impressive sales figures for the CD and cassette versions of the original Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back radio dramas persuaded Highbridge Audio's executives to proactively produce the Return of the Jedi drama via their studio.

The majority of the production team and the main actors from the first two dramas were able to return, including scriptwriter Brian Daley, director John Madden, and producer Tom Voegeli, as well as Anthony Daniels, Perry King, Ann Sachs, Brock Peters, Paul Hecht, Bernard Behrens, and John Lithgow. However, two of the series' three actors from the Star Wars films did not return to their roles. Joshua Fardon assumed the role of Luke Skywalker, while Arye Gross took on the character of Lando Calrissian. Ed Begley, Jr. was selected to voice Boba Fett, and Ed Asner, who only grunted, made a guest appearance as Jabba the Hutt.

Brian Daley had pancreatic cancer when the drama's production began, so HighBridge hired John Whitman to handle the inevitable script revisions that would follow the director's and cast's work with the script. Whitman had experience writing audio dramas for the Star Wars Expanded Universe, including Dark Empire and Tales of the Jedi. Yet, when Madden and the actors started reading through Daley's script, they discovered that minimal rewriting was required and that his original script would generally suffice. Whitman is credited as a co-writer solely for the initial two episodes. One notable rewrite involved an exchange between Threepio and Boba Fett that provided exposition about Jabba's Palace. These scenes made Fett's character appear overly friendly, so the bounty hunter was replaced with Timothy Zahn's character Mara Jade, who was disguised as the dancer Arica.

Production

Return of the Jedi was recorded at the same rate as its two predecessors: one episode each day, for a total of six demanding days. The cast and crew returned to Westlake Audio Studios in Los Angeles, where the first Star Wars drama had been recorded.

Tom Voegeli once again handled the sound mixing at his home base in St Paul, Minnesota. He and his team had access to the sounds and music from the films again. The dialogue for Chewbacaca, Artoo, Nien Nunb, and the Ewoks all came from Ben Burtt's sound library and were added to the newly-recorded dialogue in post-production. The musical score included the songs "Lapti Nek" and "Ewok Celebration," which would be replaced the following year in the Special Edition by "Jedi Rocks" and "Victory Celebration".

Release

NPR aired the first episode, "Tatooine Haunts," on November 5, 1996, with subsequent episodes broadcasted weekly on Tuesdays. The final episode, "Blood of a Jedi," aired on December 10. Certain local stations adopted different schedules. Before the year concluded, HighBridge launched a Collector's Limited Edition of the complete radio trilogy.

The radio drama's original script was published in Return of the Jedi: The National Public Radio Dramatization, also in December 1996. Anthony Daniels filled in for Brian Daley to pen the introduction. Along with Daley's script, the book includes production photographs, relevant concept art from the film, and a transcript of the get well message that the cast recorded for Daley on the final day of recording.

Episodes

Media

Editions

Cover gallery

Credits

Sources

Notes and references

External links

Appearances