Summary SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT The making of A New Hope was such a disastrous experience for George Lucas that it almost ended Star Wars before it began. What it took to make the original Star Wars film has been well documented; equally explored is the horrific set of circumstances Lucas dealt with as he struggled to get the picture made.
There was one particular point where Lucas was at his lowest, struggling to get the performances and effects needed out of his cast and crew in London. ILM, stationed in California, was tasked with overseeing the ambitious VFX for the film, and the team was known to be relaxed on their work. For a director running short on time to deliver his film, Lucas was put in an untenable situation upon returning home to complete post-production.
ILM's Star Wars Work Sent Lucas To The Hospital During his visit to ILM, Lucas discovered that the motley crew had only completed seven special effects shots - one of which he deemed acceptable. The shot of the escape pod ejecting from the Tantive IV remains in the finished cut of the film, though even its quality is lackluster compared to the rest of A New Hope.
Doctors at the hospital informed Lucas he was exhibiting symptoms of hypertension and extreme stress. Though he had avoided a heart attack, the director was cautioned to reduce stress levels significantly, lest he find himself in a worse medical state. Lucas couldn't do that, however, as the release date for Star Wars was just around the corner. The young director described the experience as a low point, with nearly everything going wrong and taking a toll on his physical health.