A fresh new fan film by Secondhand Movie Co takes Star Wars back to its roots and reworks them with absolutely no production value. The original 1977 film had a budget of little under eleven million dollars, which is roughly equivalent to sixty million today. However, this version must make do with microscopic fraction of that, or ten dollars. As a result, the sets, costumes, and the majority of the props are built out of cardboard.
Instead of attempting to hide the limited budget, the people behind Secondhand Movie Co simply went with it and made the most of it. Every aspect on screen, from C-3PO’s cardboard shell with a hasty gold paint job to R2-D2’s endearingly silly googly eyes, has a low-cost heart on its sleeve. The market stalls exhibiting the droids are as rudimentary as a pole with a piece of cardboard put on top, and some of them even wobble when knocked.
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The market stalls segment defines the tone from the start; as Luke and his uncle tour the various stalls and C-3PO complains to R2 that he finally found a new family only for his companion to steal their affection. The cardboard walls behind them feature an Amazon box as improvised wallpaper.
A little while later, the holographic message appears, and R2-D2 projects Princess Leia’s call for aid onto a cardboard cutout illuminated by a flashlight shining through from behind. The famous statement is also somewhat changed: she screams out for Obi-Wan since she has no other options. The projection flickers and cuts out thanks to parental locks and screen-time limits. Aunt Beru mistakes the floating image for a girl trapped inside a rolling dumpster. Each addition stays close to the spirit of the original moment. The interruptions simply acknowledge that even a princess’s call for help must compete with everyday household rules in this version.
Tonal constancy is what makes the whole thing function. The actors are completely serious, and they deliver their modified lines with the same enthusiasm as the original ensemble. So, in the end, the cardboard and terrible makeup appear to be creative solutions rather than budget hacks.
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