If ever there was proof that, despite his protestations, George Lucas really didn't plan out the entire Star Wars saga in advance, it probably comes in the shape of the discovery that, in 1978, Lucas told co-writers that Han Solo wasn't destined to end up with Princess Leia... because he was a married man. Married to a wookie, that is. Stunningly, I'm not making this up.This somewhat surprising development in Han Solo's love life comes from a reputable source: the official Star Wars website itself, which is currently celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Star Wars Holiday Special by interviewing people involved in the ill-fated production. One of those people is screenwriter Lenny Ripps, who drops the bombshell when discussing Lucas' involvement in the project:

To me, it didn't come together. The ideas were all right but I'm not sure that they belonged in the same room. What was interesting to me was that Lucas started talking about Star Wars as if it was a real world. He said things like "Well, you know Han Solo is married to a Wookiee. but we can't say that." Now that was 20 years ago [in 1998], so my memory may be wrong.


According to starwars.com's Ross Plesset, however, his memory is surprisingly good:

As outrageous as Ripps's recollection sounds, there is evidence supporting it. Pat Proft corroborates it and an early draft of the Star Wars script (January 28, 1975) has Han Solo living with a furry female creature who he kisses. Proft also remembers learning that Han was raised by Wookiees, which is verified on pages 46 & 131 of Laurent Bouzereau's Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays.


Admit it; you didn't think the old rogue had it in him, did you? Somewhere out there, someone has already written the fanfic about what happened when Mrs. Solo came home after Return of The Jedi to see Han and Leia hooking up... and wanted to join in. http://www.starwars.com/movies/saga/20081117.html">Holiday Special: Script and Directors [StarWars.com] (Thanks, Bonnie!)