Why Star Wars' Original Jabba The Hutt Scene Was Cut From Episode IV
George Lucas' alterations to the original Star Wars trilogy may stir debate among fans but allowed the filmmaker to breathe new life into his already expansive fantasy realm. One of the more notable changes was the reintroduction of Jabba the Hutt into "Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope." Lucas regrettably had to omit the character in the theatrical cut of the game-changing 1977 blockbuster.
The initial intent was for Jabba to share a scene with Han Solo (Harrison Ford), where the two discuss the debts Solo owes the infamous gangster, establishing Jabba as a threat for later installments. The scene was initially shot with "Doctor Who" star Declan Mulholland acting as a stand-in for the space slug, who would have been composited as a stop motion character, the same technique used to bring the later holochess sequence to life.
Sadly, even the mighty Jabba was no match for the real-world pressures of film production. Lucas is quoted in "Secrets of the Force: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Wars" as saying, "In the case of the Jabba the Hutt scene, it was a scene that worked and could've been in the movie, but at the same time at that point in history, [Industrial Light & Magic] was coping with so much work and it was a brand new company, we were way behind schedule. To add that sequence ... just would've broken the back of the operation, we could never have finished the film." Figuring that Solo's earlier interaction with Greedo in the cantina conveyed the same narrative information, Lucas sacrificed Jabba's original franchise introduction.
Lucas had a different vision for Jabba in the special editions
When the time came to re-release the original Star Wars trilogy, George Lucas grew excited with the prospect of using advances in computer-generated imagery to complete his vision. But even if he had access to more resources, re-inserting Jabba the Hutt into "A New Hope" still came with some challenges.
Taking on the task was former Industrial Light & Magic animator Steve Williams. While audiences were accustomed to seeing Jabba in "Return of the Jedi," Lucas had a different set of instructions for the team in this instance. "So what George said specifically to me was, 'Imagine Jabba under a Jenny Craig program,'" Williams recalled in a VFX Blog interview. "He goes, 'I want a slimmed-down version of Jabba.' And, I mean, the thing that was kind of most captivating about the practical Jabba was the amount of slime coming out of his mouth. George didn't want any of that stuff." Similarly, given that Jabba doesn't move in "Return of the Jedi," the team used slugs as references to break down how the character carries himself throughout the scene.
Jabba's inclusion in the 1997 special edition — which was further altered for the 2004 DVD release — remains a controversial addition for fans. Even Williams himself has qualms with the scene, telling VFX Blog, "A lot of people pissed on it because Lucas had insisted having the Harrison Ford character walk behind Jabba and step on his tail and go down, and it just — it never ever looked right. It never looked right in my view." In the end, however, Lucas fulfilled his vision for "A New Hope," further evolving filmmaking technology.