Luke And Obi-Wan Duped Han Solo In Original Star Wars Script

If things stayed the way they were in the original script for Star Wars, the relationship between Han Solo and Luke Skywalker would've gotten off to an even bumpier start.

In honor of Harrison Ford's 75th birthday on Thursday, The Hollywood Reporter points out that early screen tests for 1977's Episode IV: A New Hope reveal that Skywalker (Mark Hamill) struck a misleading deal with Solo (Ford) in order to secure the smuggler's services. 

In the theatrical release, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) and young Skywalker tell Solo they'll give him an upfront amount of money along with more after he gives them a ride to Alderaan. Solo only agrees to it when he learns that Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) is rich, so he knows he'll get paid. Everything is on the up and up.

But an earlier draft of the script took things in a different direction. When Solo takes Obi-Wan and Luke to Alderaan (only to discover it had been completely destroyed by the Death Star), he demands his money so that he can be on his way. That's because the pair had told Solo that they had all of the money on them. 

"I'm not going to take you on an impossible chase across the galaxy," Solo says. "I was paid to bring you here, and now you're here. Give me my other 5,000 and I will be on my way." 

"You can't," Skywalker responds. "We've come this far. We must find them." 

When Solo asks why, Skywalker comes clean. "Well, for one reason, we don't have your other 5,000," he says.

Solo ends the scene with a characteristic one-liner. "I'm beginning not to like you." 

Watch how the scene would've played out in the clip below. Meanwhile, check out what we want to see in the Han Solo prequel.