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Return of the Jedi Ewok Press Kit

Press Kit Cover
Wicket
Paploo
R2-D2 and Wicket

Introducing
THE EWOKS

RETURN OF THE JEDI, the latest chapter of George Lucas's cinematic STAR WARS adventure, introduces THE EWOKS -- an intriguing race of small, furry creatures living on Endor, a green forest moon which serves Darth Vader and the Empire as both a location for the shield generator protecting the Death Star and a staging area in their bitter campaign to crush the Rebel Alliance. The Ewoks live in harmony with their lushly wooded environment, but the tranquillity has been disrupted by the ever-encroaching Imperial Forces. As the story of the struggle between the Empire and the Rebels is told, the film depicts the details of Ewok life and culture.

Ewoks live in villages built on platforms perched high up on giant redwood trees. Their capes and mantles are fashioned from animal skins decorated with jewelry and ornaments of seeds, berries, nuts, bones, tusks, feathers, shells, and stones. Ewoks make all of their own weapons, including primitive but effective spears, catapults, spring-nets, and hidden pits. Their naturally gentle dispositions change rapidly when they perceive threats to their way of life or their families, and they fight with fierce determination. Ewok warriors repeatedly demonstrate great courage and ingenuity disproportionate to their small size.

Chief Chirpa leads the Ewoks. Others who play important roles in RETURN OF THE JEDI include the medicine man Logray, the feisty young Paploo and Wicket W. Warrick. Wicket is played by eleven year old Warwick C. Davis and Paploo is played by Kenny Baker, who also portrays the droid R2-D2.

Working in consultation with George Lucas, Joe Johnston was responsible for designing the Ewoks and developing their culture. Stuart Freeborn and his staff then built the costumes from Johnston's designs. Creating the Ewok costumes required close cooperation between the designers and costumers, as well as the many small person actors who portrayed the Ewoks. Each Ewok player wore a precisely fitted and padded full-body costume. At first, the actors rehearsed and developed their roles with costumes off, building up their endurance in order to increase the precision of their performances once inside the hot, confining, and cumbersome Ewok garb. Through rehearsals which included exercise, dance, and mimicry of little animals, each actor developed agility and his or her own distinct Ewok personality.

In RETURN OF THE JEDI, the craft and ingenuity and heroic exploits of the Ewok tribe are brought to life as the STAR WARS Saga continues.

RETURN OF THE JEDI was directed by Richard Marquand from the screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas, based on the story by Lucas. Howard Kazanjian was the producer and George Lucas was the executive producer. The music is by John Williams. The space adventure is a Lucasfilm Ltd. Production and a Twentieth Century-Fox Release, rated PG.