Key Takeaways:
– George Lucas drafted in Temuera Morrison to play some of the Clone Troopers in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.
– After the director noticed Morrison’s age difference, he creatively solved the problem using a blend of CGI and another younger actor.
– Lucas highly praises Morrison’s acting skills, recommending him for the role of Boba Fett in The Mandalorian.
Body:
Welcome to another Star Wars scoop, the filmmaker George Lucas demonstrated his filmmaking prowess and solve a bit of an age dilemma during the production of the Star Wars prequels. Fans saw Lucas think on his feet, using technology to bridge an age gap!
“Attack of the Clones” – Jango Fett’s Debut
To take you back, Temuera Morrison made his Star Wars debut as Jango Fett, the cunning bounty hunter whose genes were the blueprint for the Clone Troopers. If you remember, he played not only Jango but also some of his clones in the sequel, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. Quite a commanding presence, wasn’t he?
Aged Out for the Troopers?
Fast forward to Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, the last prequel trilogy. Lucas planned for Morrison’s comeback, this time as the Clone Troopers including Commander Cody. But there was a snag – Lucas thought Morrison was slightly too old for the parts compared to their original depiction.
Instead of recasting, Lucas had a clever workaround. In Star Wars Insider magazine’s issue #75, he explains his strategy. No, the Clone Troopers don’t have to be identical copies of Morrison. Enter Bodie Taylor, a young actor who portrayed the younger version of the clones.
CGI Magic and Directors’ Vision
Lucas used the cutting-edge CGI technology of the time to digitally mix Morrison and Taylor’s faces. This technique convincingly showed the Clone Troopers at different ages. He added a lore-based reason for the age variance – the clones Morrison and Taylor played were from separate cloning batches factoring in the time difference between the sequels.
Boba Fett: Temuera Morrison’s Encore Performance
If you haven’t heard yet, Morrison made a grand return to Star Wars in The Mandalorian’s second season. Only this time, he wasn’t a clone – he was Boba Fett, the iconic bounty hunter from the original trilogy.
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy let it slip in a behind-the-scenes documentary on The Book of Boba Fett, a Mandalorian spin-off, that Lucas had suggested Morrison for the part.
Lucas’ faith in Morrison didn’t stop there! His reappearance continued with reprising his clone trooper role in the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries, and the inaugural season of Ahsoka. Talk about a Star Wars comeback!
Star Wars Rolls On
Lucas’s accomplished storytelling coupled with his confidence in his actors proved successful once more. His innovative approach shows us why the Star Wars universe is still flourishing. A blend of rich past and present stories keeps the saga’s heart beating. The intrigue of the prequels and spin-offs all interlock in this broad storytelling universe.
If you’re a fan like us, don’t forget that you can stream all the prequel episodes, The Mandalorian series, and the other Star Wars spin-off shows on Disney+ right now. Happy streaming!
Doesn’t all this make you excited for what Lucas and his Star Wars crew have in store for us next?meta description:”Explore how George Lucas overcame age gaps in Star Wars prequels using CGI magic and a younger actor alongside Temuera Morrison. Read about Lucas’s faith in Morrison’s talent now, as the actor returns for Boba Fett’s role in The Mandalorian. Dive into the Star Wars universe!”
