Utapau

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The history of the planet Utapau goes all the way back to George Lucas’ original drafts of the first Star Wars film, way back in the early 1970’s. Fans like myself were very pleased to see the planet finally make it into a film after all those years. It went through many phases of development but ended up as a green and swampy planet where some important events take place.

THE SEPARATIST COUNCIL

I think we all knew from the start that the shortsighted Separatist Council was always pretty much doomed. You don’t make “deals” with a Sith Lord. A Sith will use you for what you’re worth and then eliminate you when you’ve outgrown your usefulness, as evident in Episode III when Anakin/Vader takes out the whole group in one big Mustafar massacre.

Making them believe they were being protected, Darth Sidious (via General Grievous) eventually moved them from Utapau to Mustafar, where no one would think or want to look for them. There seems to be a slight contradiction as to when Grievous originally filled the council in on this move, when looking at some of the published materials.

In the Episode III Comic Adaptation, Grievous tells them he’s moving them right after he lands on Utapau near the beginning of the film, right before he talks to Darth Sidious. Most other source materials, however, have Sidious telling Grievous to do this when they’re talking via hologram.

Here’s the version from the published script, and note the omitted battle droid dialogue which is also present in the Episode III Comic Adaptation, albeit slightly different:

71 EXT. UTAPAU-LANDING PLATFORM-DAY
A small NEIMOIDIAN SHUTTLE lands. BATTLE DROIDS surround the ramp as GENERAL GRIEVOUS descends onto the platform. SUPER BATTLE DROID G21 approaches.

SUPER BATTLE DROID G21
The planet is secure, sir.
The population is under
control.

GENERAL GRIEVOUS
Good. Where is the
Separatist Council?

SUPER BATTLE DROID G21
This way, sir…

GENERAL GRIEVOUS takes the elevator to an upper level. He enters a conference room and presses a series of buttons on the table, and bows.

72 INT. UTAPAU-CONFERENCE ROOM-GRAND CHAMBER-DAY
A hologram of Darth Sidious appears.

GENERAL GRIEVOUS
Yes, Lord Sidious.

DARTH SlDIOUS
General Grievous, I
suggest you move the
Separatist leaders to
Mustafar.

GENERAL GRIEVOUS
It will be done, My Lord.

DARTH SlDIOUS
The end of the war is near,
General, and I promise you,
victory is assured.

The hologram of Sidious talks to GRIEVOUS about the death of Count Dooku.

GENERAL GRIEVOUS
But the loss of Count Dooku?

DARTH SlDIOUS
His death was a necessary loss,
which will ensure our victory.
Soon I will have a new apprentice…
one far younger and more
powerful than Lord Tyranus.

There are a few other lost lines of dialogue in there but they’re nothing all that complicated or important; just extra words, really. It’s interesting to note that in the screenplay, Grievous asks where the Separatists are but in the finished film, they’re standing right there when he comes out of his shuttle.

 

 

MORE MIND TRICKS

Let’s face it. Boga was cool. Everybody loves that lizard with the feathered head. In the finished film, we’re introduced to her rather abruptly as Obi-Wan takes her out of her pen and into a climb up to Utapau’s 10th level.

There was a scene deleted from the film where Obi-Wan selects Boga from a den of varactyls. He uses a Jedi mind trick to make the short Utai wranglers help him out. I’m always up for a good Jedi mind trick so I’m a little upset at the loss of these shots. It’s a wonderful intro to Boga as well. Here’s the originally scripted scene:

107 INT. UTAPAU-LANDING PLATFORM-HALLWAY-DAY
OBI-WAN also watches his ship take off. He is hiding in the hallway. He quietly moves farther into the city.

108 EXT. UTAPAU STAIRWAY-SINKHOLE RIM-DAY
OBI-WAN quickly rushes up a stairway cut into the side of the sinkhole. It’s hard to see him. In an alcove, he carefully surveys the city, then quickly moves on.

109 INT. UTAPAU-CITY-DRAGON CORRAL-DAY
OBI-WAN makes his way through the city, looking up at the tenth level with electro-binoculars from his utility belt. He tries to figure out how he is going to get up there. He hears strange bellowing cries and he investigates.

He comes across a corral filled with about half a dozen DRAGON-LIKE LIZARDS. SEVERAL WRANGLERS are standing around.

OBI-WAN walks up to the WRANGLERS and uses the Force with his slight hand movements.

OBI-WAN
I need transportation.

WRANGLER
(subtitled, in native tongue)
You need transportation.

OBI-WAN
Get it for me.

WRANGLER
(subtitled, in native tongue)
I will get it for you.

One of the WRANGLERS turns to the others and chatters away in his strange tongue. OBI-WAN walks along the line of DRAGON/LIZARDS, checking out each one. He looks at their teeth, legs, etc. Finally he pats one on the neck.

OBI-WAN
This one.

The WRANGLER brings the chosen one over to him.

WRANGLER
Boga. She answers to Boga.

OBI-WAN
Good girl, Boga.

OBI-WAN swings onto the back of the LIZARD. The beast rears up and scurries outside to the edge of the sinkhole.

Note the mention of Obi-Wan’s use of electro-binoculars. Starwars.com once posted a photo of this particular utility belt item and mentioned they were used to spy on Grievous in the caption. I’m not 100% sure but this might be the same prop that was, strangely enough, used in another deleted scene from Episode II where Obi-Wan checks out Geonosis after he lands.

Starwars.com also made mention of another scene that might have been. It was originally posted in their “databank” under Utapau:

The smaller species, dubbed the Utai in publishing, was developed specifically for the role of lizard wrangler, for a comical scene originally scripted but never shot. As Obi-Wan Kenobi browses the dragon corral, he sees a particularly energetic dragon toss aside a diminutive wrangler, dropping him into a pool of mucky water.

There’s a young reader’s book out there called Obi-Wan’s Foe and inside lie some more hints to what might have been. It mentions the selection of Boga and also has an illustration of Obi-Wan with his binoculars, although they look a little more traditional.

 

 

 

OBI-WAN VS. GENERAL GRIEVOUS

Like General Grievous says in Episode III, Obi-Wan Kenobi really is a bold one. It takes Jedi guts to drop down into the midst of a few zillion enemy droids and take their General by surprise. If you recall, most of those drone-like battle droids don’t do much at all until the clone troopers arrive but in the original version of the scene, things were quite different. In fact, the entire chase/fight with Grievous, right up until he’s “retired” by Kenobi, was cut down considerably.

For now, we’ll start off with Obi-Wan dropping in on Grievous. Here’s the scene as it was originally scripted:

112 INT. UTAPAU-TENTH LEVEL-CONTROL CENTER-DAY
The JEDI removes his cloak and jumps down behind the GENERAL.

OBI-WAN
Hello, there!

GENERAL GRIEVOUS
General Kenobi, you are a bold
one. I find your behavior
bewildering… Surely you
realize you’re doomed,
(to droids) Kill him!

About a HUNDRED BATTLE DROIDS surround OBI-WAN, GENERAL GRIEVOUS, and his BODYGUARDS. OBI-WAN looks around, then walks right up to GENERAL GRIEVOUS.
They stare at each other for a moment.

GENERAL GRIEVOUS
Enough of this.

The BODYGUARDS raise their power staffs to knock OBI-WAN away, but OBI-WAN ducks as the deadly staffs whistle over his head. The Jedi’s lightsaber ignites, and OBI-WAN deftly cuts one BODYGUARD in two. His staff flies into the air and is caught by GENERAL GRIEVOUS. The other THREE BODYGUARDS attack OBI-WAN with an intense fury.

OBI-WAN uses the Force to release apiece of equipment from the ceiling. It drops on the BODYGUARDS, smashing them. OBI-WAN walks toward GRIEVOUS, slashing the last BODYGUARD to pieces. BATTLE DROIDS move toward OBI-WAN.

GENERAL GRIEVOUS
Back away. I will deal
with this Jedi slime myself.

OBI-WAN
Your move.

GENERAL GRIEVOUS
You fool. I have been trained
in your Jedi arts by Count
Dooku himself. Attack, Kenobi.

His arms separate and grab all four lightsabers on his belt. His four arms create a flashing display of swordsmanship.

OBI-WAN
You forget I trained the Jedi
that defeated Count Dooku!

OBI-WAN is hard-pressed to defend himself against the deadly onslaught. They fight across the control room as the BATTLE DROID SHARPSHOOTERS try to pick off the Jedi. OBI-WAN mounts a ferocious counterattack and cuts off one of GRIEVOUS’s hands. A loud EXPLOSION is heard echoing throughout the sinkhole. GENERAL GRIEVOUS and OBI-WAN glance to the entrance of the control center and see CLONE TROOPS in the distance, attacking DROIDS in the sinkhole. On the far wall of the sinkhole, CLONES can be seen rappelling onto balconies.

OBI-WAN
I may not defeat your droids,
but my troops certainly will.

GENERAL GRIEVOUS
Army or not, you must
realize you are doomed.

OBI-WAN
I don’t think so.

TWENTY CLONES suddenly rappel into the entrance of the control center, ray guns blazing. Chaos. Laser bolts fly everywhere as the DROIDS return fire. OBI-WAN attacks GENERAL GRIEVOUS, who defends himself rigorously with one of his bodyguard’s electro-staffs. OBI-WAN uses the Force to hurl GENERAL GRIEVOUS backwards. He falls onto a lower platform and OBI-WAN jumps down after him.

Once the chase progressed out into the open, there was supposed to be an extra detour before arriving at the landing platform where Grievous’ starfighter is waiting. If you notice while watching the film, you’ll see there are many windmill-like structures scattered along Utapau’s levels. Originally, the chase was supposed to extend to one of these windmills.

The chase is still hot, but Grievous turns on a windmill once he finds himself safely on the other side, cutting Kenobi off from him. He then calls to his ship for takeoff preparations. From there, both Grievous and Obi-Wan make jumps downward and Obi-Wan nearly doesn’t make it, much like his initial jump from the landing platform in the finished film.

Here’s the scene:

121 EXT. UTAPAU-WINDMILLS-DAY
GENERAL GRIEVOUS works his way out onto the rim of the sinkhole, passing some wind blades. The evil Droid General releases the brakes on the lethal blades, and they begin to spin, cutting off Obi-Wan’s access to the General. Obi-Wan’s LIZARD pulls up short in front of the blades. GENERAL GRIEVOUS laughs and talks into a comlink.

GENERAL GRIEVOUS
Prepare to move out of orbit.
I will be up in a few moments.

OBI-WAN sizes up the situation, looking for a way to get to GENERAL GRIEVOUS.

The GENERAL accelerates off the edge, activating his claws, drops, and clings to another nearby grouping of windmills. Obi-Wan’s LIZARD attempts to jump to follow and barely makes it, almost falling into the precipice below.

But that’s not all. In the finished film, we see Obi-Wan come back to the battle on Utapau riding on Boga, whom he lost back in the tunnels at one point. In the film it’s understood that he just found her again but in the version from the published script, there’s a shot where Obi-Wan actually gets onto Boga after the fight and starts to head back. It’s also good to note that in the scripted version, Boga makes it all the way to the platform and isn’t left back in the tunnels as we saw in the film. In fact, when you read the scene below, you get the distinct impression that they get to the landing platform and almost stop before Obi-Wan leaps out and pulls Grievous to the ground. Check out this scripted version and take note of some of the other small differences:

EXT. UTAPAU-SECRET LANDING PLATFORM-DAY
Extending from the wall of a small sinkhole is a secret landing platform with a small Federation Fighter sitting in the middle of it. OBI-WAN and GENERAL GRIEVOUS race out of the tunnel system and onto the landing platform. OBI-WAN yanks on the staff, then jumps off his LIZARD onto the General’s scooter, knocking both warriors to the ground. GENERAL GRIEVOUS pulls out a laser pistol and fires at OBI-WAN. The Jedi reaches out his hand, grabs the General’s electro-staff and spins the staff, blocking the laser bolts.

OBI-WAN charges GENERAL GRIEVOUS, swinging the staff and hitting the Droid in the stomach, knocking the gun away. GENERAL GRIEVOUS is hit by the staff, and the Force bends his forearm. He pulls OBI-WAN close to him, and they engage in a furious fight. The electro-staff is knocked away. The two engage in hand-to-hand combat. OBI-WAN struggles to avoid the deadly blows of the brutal, unstoppable Droid.

GENERAL GRIEVOUS’s stomachplate is loose. OBI-WAN grabs it and rips it off, revealing the alien life form’s guts encased in a bag in the Droid’s chest. GENERAL GRIEVOUS grabs OBI-WAN, hoists him over his head, and tosses him across the platform. OBI-WAN dangles off the edge of the platform. He clutches the rim, trying to hold on. The DROID then grabs the staff and charges OBI-WAN. At the last second, OBI-WAN reaches out his hand and uses the Force to retrieve the Droid’s laser pistol.

The JEDI fires several blasts in the stomach area of the alien Droid, and he EXPLODES from the inside out. The smoldering Droid falls to the ground. OBI-WAN has killed GENERAL GRIEVOUS. He pulls himself up onto the platform and walks by the destroyed carcass.

OBI-WAN
So uncivilized…

OBI-WAN brushes himself off. He throws the pistol onto the platform, picks up the electro-staff, and jumps on BOGA. The trusty beast rears up and takes off into the tunnel system.

It’s interesting to note that the Episode III Comic Adaptation glosses over the whole fight/chase, perhaps to save space or panels.

There’s a young reader’s book called Obi-Wan’s Foe and inside lie some more hints as to what might have been. In fact, it tells a slightly more colorful tale about the whole chase/fight, some of which seems to be quite different from the original drafts. Some of it could be the author taking liberties with the material but it’s hard to tell. For the most part it seems to follow originally scripted events.

There is one connection I found in that book to something I saw in The Making of Revenge of the Sith that might be worth pointing out. On page 33 of Obi-Wan’s Foe, the tale of Obi-Wan vs. Grievous is heating up and at one point, though Obi-Wan disarms Grievous, he takes a fall and loses his lightsaber. The lightsaber skids in front of a super battle droid. A regular battle droid watches the super battle droid pick up the lightsaber and warns him to be “…careful with that. It’s a lightsaber.” The super battle droid inspects it and says, “A what?” At that point, he ignites the thing by mistake and takes off his own head.

Now, a super battle droid’s head is sort of embedded in the body’s shell so this doesn’t seem all that possible. Perhaps that why there are some concept sketches in The Making of Revenge of the Sith that have this situation reversed. The super seems to be the one on the sidelines warning the regular battle droid to be careful. The droid then takes off his skinny head as the super watches.

I’m not sure if this was ever part of the script but it’s interesting how it made it into this children’s book and then there are similar sketches in The Making of Revenge of the Sith.

 

 

THE NOS MONSTER

When Order 66 was given, Obi-Wan and Boga were blasted down to the bottom of a sinkhole on Utapau. If you watch the film, you’ll see Obi-Wan crawl out of the sinkhole and into a grotto just as two seeker droids are passing by, then the film cuts away to the next scene.

This grotto scene was originally a little longer and included a creature known as the Nos Monster. This beast has large eyes (it lives in the dark) and a long neck. As Obi-Wan starts to make his way out of the grotto, the Nos Monster unknowingly helps him out by eating one of the seekers and then chasing after the second, allowing Obi-Wan a window of time to escape.

Here’s the scene as it was originally scripted:

150 EXT. UTAPAU-UNDERWATER SINKHOLE-DAY
The Jedi dives below the surface amid a barrage of laser fire. He dives deeper under the water, fumbling in his utility belt for a breathing device. He finds it and puts it in his mouth. He swims underwater until the CLONE TROOPS give up and stop filing.

151 EXT. UTAPAU-UNDERWATER CAVES-DAY
OBI-WAN removes the breathing apparatus after coming up from underwater. He starts to climb the rock wall.

OBI-WAN climbs the wall to the second cave just as TWO LITTLE SEEKER DRONES pop out of the water with their searchlights glowing. OBI-WAN presses himself against the wall of the smaller cave as the TWO SEEKER DRONES search the grotto. One of the SEEKERS begins to enter the cave in which OBI-WAN is hiding. OBI-WAN presses further into the wall. The light shines on the opposite wall and moves to the back of the cave, illuminating a huge NOS MONSTER. OBI-WAN holds his breath. The SEEKER is confused for a moment, then the NOS MONSTER lunges at the SMALL DROID and consumes it in one bite.

The NOS MONSTER’S lunge takes him past OBI-WAN, out of the cave, and into the water.

The SECOND SEEKER shines its light on the NOS MONSTER as the evil creature tries to grab the LITTLE DRONE. OBI-WAN slinks off toward the back of the cave. He comes upon a nest of BABY NOS MONSTERS. They SCREECH and make horrible sounds. OBI-WAN jumps over them and continues on his way through the tunnel system.

Interestingly enough, the Nos Monster, in all his glory, somehow made his way onto a TCG card (from the card game).

 

 

 

 

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