'REVENGE' OF THE EWAKS!

Their appearance deliberately kept a secret for the most part prior to the release of Return of the Jedi, as Yoda had been for The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, some images of the Ewok (first called Ewaks) creatures of the forest moon of Endor, via conceptual designs by Joe Johnston, did make it to specific trusted sources in licensing and advance publicity planning beyond the confines of Lucasfilm, as seen here with these very rare production still duplicates of the furry warriors. We assume that this was when the film was in its post January 1983 locked-in title phase, though some transparancy holders with the titular Revenge of the Jedi were used that still bore that original title.

Sold at Auction: PRICE REDUCED: Extremely Rare Collectible Star Wars Revenge of The Jedi & Return of the Jedi Original Numbered Projection Slides

'REVENGE' OF THE PRODUCTION STILLS!

Here's a few further great 35mm image slides from Return of the Jedi that went out to media and merchandising companies with Revenge of the Jedi logo captioning either prior to the name change to Return, or regardless uncorrected of either title, during 1982/83.

Art by Joe Johnston.

CLASSIC ART: OUT ON THE PLAINS OF SICEMON!

We're used to seeing this world environment in its incarnation as Lothal for STAR WARS REBELS, but before that this grass plains world of Sicemon was originally home to the Rebel Alliance before its attack on the second Death Star, for REVENGE OF THE JEDI. during early conception in 1980, whilst the story was still being flux formulation by Lucas.

As we all know by now, unused classic art and concepts are always looked over anew for future SW productions, especially linked to Joe Johnston and Ralph McQuarrie.

THE IMPERIAL CITY OF 'REVENGE'

Art by Ralph McQuarrie.

RETURN OF THE JEDI's climax heavily concentrated its planetary storytelling on the forest moon of Endor and the second Death Star, but in the original 1981 drafts of REVENGE OF THE JEDI, a lot of drama and action would also have been set on the Imperial City, later named Coruscant, of which George Lucas (apparently albeit reluctantly) also used the Expanded Universe's devised planet name for the Prequel Trilogy.

An Imperial Shuttle flies the skies. Art by Joe Johnston.

As well as Joe Johnston, Ralph McQuarrie was heavily involved in early concept work, recalling to STARLOG magazine in October 1983: "The biggest thing left out of RETURN OF THE JEDI was the planet for the Imperials. We worked on this Imperial City a long time, but its never used in the film. George decided to just have everything taking place in space. It's elaborate and quite pretty. But I don't want to reveal what it looks like because George might use it in the future." 

Some of McQuarrie's images would later find a home as part of 1996's much-loved EPISODES V and VI bridge in Shadows of the Empire, and the concept art for the Imperial City would indeed be revisited by Lucas for the Prequels.