Mark Hamill, “Star Wars” legend and sometimes historian, reminded fans Thursday that studio bosses considered an early version of Chewbacca that had him looking like a hirsute Bavarian mountain man.
“FUN FACT: Very early in the shooting of #SW studio execs expressed deep concern that Chewie didn’t wear any pants & suggested he wear a pair of lederhosen,” the actor who played Luke Skywalker tweeted with concept art of the famed Wookiee. “That they would focus on this amidst all the grotesque elements in the script made us laugh (& a bit worried.)”
Fortunately, “Star Wars” director George Lucas was able to dissuade the studio from adorning the big guy with “walking carpet” wear pants, according to comicbook.com.
The suits and the creatives settled on just a bandolier ― and it’s been a roaring success.
But a few fans pondered what could have been.
Hamill mentioned the Wookiee couture issue years ago to The Associated Press, recalling how the studio wrung its hands in deciding how to clothe ― or not ― Chewie, played by the 7-foot-3 British actor Peter Mayhew.
“I remember the memos from 20th Century Fox,” Hamill told the wire service. ”‘Can you put a pair of lederhosen on the Wookiee?’ All they could think of was, ‘This character has no pants on!’ This went back and forth. They did sketches of him in culottes and baggy shorts.”
For a couple of characters who met at the Mos Eisley Cantina, the gig and the getup worked out pretty well.
