YouTube vloggers Jesse Wellens and Carmella Rose have made one of this year’s most impressive Halloween outfits, dressing up as Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa and riding through New York on a “Star Wars” speeder bike that looks like it’s actually floating.
“Star Wars” fans all fondly remember the famous speeder bike chase on Endor in “Return of the Jedi,” in which Luke and Leia evade Scout Troopers in a thrilling chase through the forest. Wellens and Rose replicated the scene with the help of Lithium Cycles, who built a custom motorcycle that resembled the speeder bike and had mirrors covering the wheels to create the illusion that the bike was levitating.
After wowing New Yorkers with the bike, the pair was joined by another one with a costumed Scout Trooper on top. But before they could reenact the chase from the movie, they got captured by a force more powerful than the Empire: the NYPD.
Watch New York’s reaction to the speeder bikes above, then check out how the bikes were made in the clip below.
All the 'Star Wars' Behind-the-Scenes Shakeups Since Disney Bought Lucasfilm (So Far)
In September 2017, Lucasfilm announced it had parted ways with "Star Wars: Episode IX" director Colin Trevorrow just months before the film was set to begin production, and then revealing a week later that JJ Abrams would take his place. But that's hardly the first shakeup of the modern "Star Wars" era. Here's all the drama that's happened since Disney bought Lucasfilm (and the "Star Wars" franchise) in 2012.
All three new numbered "Star Wars" movies ("The Force Awakens," "The Last Jedi," and the untitled Episode IX) were originally announced for May launches before being pushed to December.
Michael Arndt was originally hired to write "The Force Awakens" but was replaced because his draft wasn't coming along as quickly as the powers that be at Lucasfilm wanted -- director JJ Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan took over screenwriting duties.
Josh Trank, the first director hired for the standalone anthology film that we now know as "Untitled Han Solo Film," was fired from the project in May 2015 amid reports of drama on the set of his "Fantastic Four" film, with producer Simon Kinberg reportedly calling him "erratic." Trank later said he left "Star Wars" because he wanted to do "something original."
Colin Trevorrow landed the "Episode IX" directing gig in 2015, and wrote the first script with his writing partner Derek Connolly. But Lucasfilm ultimately nixed their screenplay, and in August, Jack Thorne was reported to have taken over those duties. (Lucasfilm still hasn't made any official announcement about Thorne.)
Phil Lord and Chris Miller were hired to direct "Han Solo" from Lawrence Kasdan's script, and made it through most of production before being fired in June 2017. Reports credited a conflict with Lucasfilm over their filmmaking style. Ron Howard was then brought in to finish the project.
Michael K. Williams landed a supporting role in the Han Solo movie, but after Ron Howard replaced Lord and Miller, the amount of additional shooting was apparently extensive enough that Williams no longer had time for the film. His character ended up being cut from the film completely.
Trevorrow was replaced on "Episode IX" by "The Force Awakens" director JJ Abrams, who Disney also announced would write the screenplay with "Argo" and "Batman V Superman" scribe Chris Terrio.
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From the first ‘The Force Awakens’ script to the departure of “Episode IX” director Colin Trevorrow
In September 2017, Lucasfilm announced it had parted ways with "Star Wars: Episode IX" director Colin Trevorrow just months before the film was set to begin production, and then revealing a week later that JJ Abrams would take his place. But that's hardly the first shakeup of the modern "Star Wars" era. Here's all the drama that's happened since Disney bought Lucasfilm (and the "Star Wars" franchise) in 2012.
