1. Blue Harvest | WORKING |

In the early 1980s, the world was gripped by Star Wars fever. Following the massive success of A New Hope (1977) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980), anticipation for the final installment of the original trilogy, Return of the Jedi , was astronomical. To prevent paparazzi leaks, script theft, and inflated costs from suppliers who often hiked prices when they knew a major production was involved, George Lucas and his team at Lucasfilm needed a secret weapon. That weapon was "Blue Harvest". "Horror Beyond Imagination"

from the making of Return of the Jedi . Other working titles used by Lucasfilm. 1. Blue Harvest

The production crew wore hats and T-shirts featuring the "Blue Harvest" title, which have since become prized collectibles, representing a fun piece of behind-the-scenes history. In the early 1980s, the world was gripped by Star Wars fever

The strategy was highly effective, particularly when filming on location, such as in the redwood forests near Crescent City, California (used for Endor), and the Buttercup Valley in Arizona (used for Jabba the Hutt's sail barge scenes). That weapon was "Blue Harvest"

While Return of the Jedi was released in 1983, the term "Blue Harvest" lived on in Star Wars lore.

The ruse was so successful that it worked until the actors playing Han, Luke, and Leia arrived on set, at which point it became obvious to bystanders that this was not a low-budget horror film, but the next Star Wars film.

When production began for Return of the Jedi (initially titled Revenge of the Jedi ), the team adopted the fake working title . To make the ruse effective, they created a fake tagline: "Horror Beyond Imagination".