10 Rules The Cast & Crew Have To Follow

To some actors, there’s no more extraordinary privilege than being cast in a Star Wars movie, but there are a lot of strict rules associated with becoming part of one of the biggest franchises in pop culture. Part of making cinematic history is about maintaining certain guidelines to maximize the excitement for audiences around the world, even if the role of a lifetime can sometimes be too much to keep to themselves!

Aside from keeping plot secrets contained, Star Wars movie cast and crew must be amenable to certain security measures, concede to complicated stunt choreography, and if it calls for it, even weight loss requirements. These drastic and regulated measures help maintain the magic and mystery of the galaxy far, far away.

No Star Wars Plot Details Can Be Revealed To The Public

These days, it would be easier to sneak into an Imperial bunker than to find out any secrets on a Star Wars movie set. Plot details are closely guarded secrets and the cast of a Star Wars movie must agree to keep them safe during and after production until the film’s release.

As Mark Hamill tells Graham Norton, he shared script details about A New Hope with family and friends, but once The Empire Strikes Back was underway, plot points were only shared with select individuals and couldn’t be repeated. Hamill was one of three people to know that Darth Vader was actually Luke Skywalker’s father, and he had to keep the secret of one of the best father-son duos in movie history for over a year.

Copies Of The Script Are Kept Under Strict Surveillance

Ever since the original trilogy’s success, the entirety of the production process for a Star Wars movie has become shrouded in mystery, especially the script. For Star Wars: The Force Awakens, J.J. Abrams gave cast members random pages of other screenplays to audition with and included NDA’s for the process before they ever set foot on a set.

Even if they were cast, they could only get to read the script by visiting Pinewood Studios. Hamill, who had kept the secret of Luke’s paternity so long ago, was introduced to even stricter security requirements when he signed on to do the sequel trilogy and reprise his role as Luke Skywalker; pages of the script were brought to him by a courier who remained with him until he was done reading them before collecting the pages again and leaving.

Can’t Photocopy The Script

So what if a Star Wars movie cast member wants to make a few script notes on the pages of their script, or have a copy for their own personal use? That’s just not possible, because after Lucasfilm sold the franchise to Disney, cast members couldn’t have their own copies.

According to Business Insider, Lucasfilm and Disney were so worried about pages of the script being photocopied by cast members (or anyone they associated with) that it was printed on red pages that if photocopied would simply show up as black, thus preventing duplication.

Everyone Has To Sign NDAs

In order for top secret details about any Star Wars movie to not be leaked, every cast member has to sign NDAs and promise not to reveal any information. Even if they end up leaving the movie for one reason or another, they can’t mention what they’ve seen or heard while on set.

This extends to the actors, their agents, and anyone even remotely involved in the filming process. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’s script was almost leaked to the public, revealing key plot details that would have ruined the capstone of the Skywalker saga. The NDAs are as much for the fans’ benefit of remaining surprised than for the cast members to avoid punishment.

Wardrobe Changes Are Mandatory

Carrie Fisher was only 19 when she debuted as Princess Leia Organa in A New Hope, and her white robes became an iconic symbol of hope and justice. Behind the scenes, Fisher struggled with the wardrobe department when Lucas demanded that she not be allowed to wear undergarments.

As she recounts in her hilarious HBO Special Wishful Drinking, Lucas said there were, “No bras in space,” so she had to go without. It can be difficult for the cast to adhere to such arbitrary rules, especially given that in Return of the Jedi, she wore a gold bikini.

Undergo Extensive Fight Training

Every Star Wars movie in the Skywalker saga showcases elaborate fight sequences, with some of the best lightsaber duels being particularly grueling. Stars involved in these clashes, such as Hamill and David Prowse in the original trilogy, Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen in the prequel trilogy, or Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver in the sequel trilogy, have to undergo months of very physically demanding training.

Ever since the prequel movies, when Lucas introduced incredibly visceral duels, Star Wars movies have had to up the ante of excitement involved, incorporating lots of athletic choreography. It looks much more authentic to watch the cast themselves perform the movements than rely on stunt performers, though they are one of the cornerstones of the action-packed franchise.

Refer To Star Wars Movies By Fake Names

In order to prevent fans or the media tracking down filming locations, a Star Wars movie will be referred to by a fake name during production. Something fans might not know about Return of the Jedi is that the film was referred to as the horror movie “Blue Harvest” and the crew wore shirts, hats, and other apparel with the fake name printed on it. This trend continued with Star Wars: The Force Awakens when the movie was referred to as “Avco.”

Die-hard Star Wars fans like Seth MacFarlane even referenced Blue Harvest in his specials on Family Guy, where the Griffins embody various characters from the galaxy far, far away. The method is a fun way to keep Star Wars movies under the radar, and makes for a good Easter egg in other entertainment by fans and creators.

Weight Loss Requirements

Spending decades connected to Star Wars ensured that Fisher knew the complex regulations associated with the films, which began with pressure to lose weight even at 19, and continued when she returned to the role in the sequel trilogy decades later.

She wasn’t alone; returning to roles they hadn’t played for thirty years meant that Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford, who looked quite different from their younger selves, needed to lose weight too. But as Fisher confided to Stephen Colbert, she had to lose the most, and while she didn’t particularly feel like she needed to, production demanded it.

Wear The Uncomfortable Costumes

Whether they’re in a furry Wookiee costume, a suit of golden armor, or some alien prosthetics, costumes for Star Wars movies aren’t always comfortable. Even if they’re not all that complicated, they can still make filming scenes difficult. Peter Cushing, who played Grand Moff Tarkin, famously wore slippers (and was filmed above the waist) because the riding boots he was given to accompany his uniform were too small.

Threepio might have been one of the most exasperating characters in Star Wars, but Anthony Daniels has detailed many times about the extraordinary discomfort he experienced fitting into the protocol droid’s costume, especially filming in inhospitable environments in Tunisia. Regardless of how cumbersome the costumes can be, the actors put up with them because the end result justifies their sacrifice.

No Lightsaber Or Pew-Pew Noises

Put a lightsaber or a blaster into a cast members’ hand, and they’re suddenly hit with the overwhelming urge to make the signature humming noises or “pew pew” sounds of their weapon. This got so bad for McGregor and Christensen during filming of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace that Lucas had to speak to him.

Though it eventually became a rule that no cast members could make the noises because their lips could be seen moving during filming, it’s nice to know that when it comes to Star Wars movies, the cast are just a bunch of big kids acting out their favorite sci-fi fantasies.

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