If you have read some of my previous articles, you will know that I’m a huge fan of the Ewok movies that were released in the eighties. Watching The Battle for Endor (the second of the two films) at my grandparents all the time, the film really holds special memories for me. Although initially Caravan of Courage (the initial film), which I only saw for the first time when it was released on DVD, didn’t have that same nostalgic value for me, it has now become just as special. The reason? My daughter. Sharing these two films with her has been wonderful and we often watch both together, with her holding her much loved Wicket plush toy. Her love for Caravan of Courage has made me fall in love with the film, creating new memories that will hopefully stay with my daughter like The Battle for Endor did for me.
This month, a new Kickstarter launched called Yub-Nub!: The Forgotten Ewok Adventures, a documentary all about the making of these films. To say I am excited is an understatement, with footage captured by Eric Walker (the actor behind Mace from the films) from that time, it promises to offer a very rare glimpse into these movies. They are usually forgotten by most fans, and Lucasfilm, so to have a documentary made about them is a dream come true. I thought we should catch up with the director of the project, Thomas Grove, and find out what it is all about!
Jedi News: Tom thanks for joining us! Let’s go right back to the beginning, what is Star Wars for you? How did you first experience it?
Tom Grove: Star Wars for me was my entire childhood. I’m a product of the Prequel era. The original trilogy is the best thing since sliced bread but as I was growing up the imagery of Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen was more my Star Wars. Jar Jar Binks was always a favourite of mine and still is!
JN: Who is your favourite character in a galaxy far, far away?
TG: Regarding my actual favourite character from the franchise is a hard choice as every other character from this franchise is excellent. But off the top of my head, I’d have to say Count Dooku, played wonderfully by Sir Christopher Lee.
JN: What made you decide that film making was your calling?
TG: I’ve been a film buff since I was young, so it feels like a natural progression to go from watching movies to making documentaries about how those films were made.
JN: How did you get involved with this project?
TG: With getting involved with The Forgotten Ewok Adventures, I’d just come off of winning best documentary at the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards! And I was looking for my next idea. That’s when I managed to track down Eric Walker on Facebook and ask him if I could follow him around a convention in London.
JN: Like myself, you’re UK based, has that presented any problems for this documentary when a lot of the cast and crew are overseas?
TG: As I live in a small Town in the UK, it’s difficult to manage interviews with the cast and crew of both Ewok Movies. But luckily, Eric Walker lives in the USA! So, everyone across the pond is being interviewed by Eric while I’m present on a video call.
JN: How much raw footage from Eric Walker is there? I presume it must be a huge treasure trove of unseen footage.
TG: The big reason behind me making this film is to showcase never before seen behind the scenes material of Caravan of Courage and The Battle for Endor! But if you want to know what it includes, you’ll have to back the Kickstarter and watch the film.
JN: Is there any chance that the documentary will have a physical release on DVD or Blu Ray, a lot of us fans like having a hard copy!
TG: Unfortunately, at this time there’s no plans for a physical media release. As I’m 21 years old and I Don’t have the resources to do so! Once the documentary has been made, hopefully then I’ll be able to make a Blu-ray.
JN: You’re teaming up with Christian Jessup again, who is composing the soundtrack, from the sneak peek on the campaign page he seems to really have captured the Ewok music. What’s it like to work with him on projects?
TG: Working with Christian Jessup is like working with a friend. I don’t think of it as work when I’m talking with Christian. I’ve known him since late 2018 and we’ve had a special relationship ever since.
JN: How long are you envisioning the documentary runtime will be?
TG: Preferably the documentary would fall just short of the 2-hour mark. As I feel that’s the sweet spot for a lot of films of any kind.
JN: Have Lucasfilm placed any restrictions on you, or have you got free rein on the project?
TG: Referring to Lucasfilm and Disney with this documentary, they are not involved at this point in time. Sadly, neither seem to want to accept or acknowledge the existence of the Ewok movies. As nothing about their history has been documented.
JN: You have a stunning poster for the documentary from Marc Laming, what was it like to work with him?
TG: I spent a few weeks picking from a handful of artists I liked who I thought could be the best fit for The Forgotten Ewok Adventures Poster. I suddenly stumbled across Marc Laming and once I saw some of his Marvel Comics Star Wars covers, I knew instantly he was the man for the job.
JN: From everything I’ve seen you work really closely with everyone involved in the process, is that something you do conscientiously or that how your passion for a project expresses itself?
TG: I work extremely closely on evert aspect of my documentaries. As a whole, I’m the only one working on it. I pull everything together all the cogs. The poster, soundtrack, and cast. I love being able to have complete control and having my creativity to flow.
JN: What would you say to fans who are on the fence about backing the project?
TG: If you’re thinking about backing this Kickstarter Campaign, please do! This film is extremely important for everyone involved. Not just me who is trying to get into the world of filmmaking but for everyone who worked on Caravan of Courage and The Battle for Endor. As these films have become almost forgotten and even disliked. So, the goal with this documentary is to shine a light on this part of Lucasfilm’s history that has been ignored.
Thank you to Tom for taking the time to answer some of our questions!
This is a project I never thought we would see and I’m so happy to have the opportunity to support it. If you would like to show your support for the project, as well as get some amazing incentives, then head over to Kickstarter and pledge your support!
There are still 26 days for this project stop reach its pledge goal, so please spread the word and let’s make sure it gets backed!
