By Jon Brooks
I had the best time watching Zach King’s “If ‘Star Wars’ Had a $10 Budget” movie on YouTube — a 52-minute remake of “Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.”
The film was initially released on King’s YouTube channel last March (originally under the title “Cardboard Wars”).
The film was subsequently released via the “Secondhand Movie Co.” YouTube channel (a new channel started by King and his filmmaking friends to house their “cheaply” made movies).
Here is the full movie:
(There is also an extended version of the movie available for donors on Patreon.)
There was no A.I. used in the film, according to the filmmakers. The props, sets, models, and costumes are handmade. The effects were shot practically and a number of them utilized a green screen.
I wasn’t familiar with King prior to watching his remake of “Star Wars,” but I’ve since learned that his “special effects/illusion” videos are popular on TikTok and Instagram.
King and director Josh Fapp recently appeared on an episode of the “Memeobi’s Galaxy” podcast to talk about filming their cardboard-centric “Star Wars.”
King told Memeobi that they shot the film in five days. “It took us three months to edit,” says King. “And everything is handmade that you see in it.”
In addition, he says it took the director “forever” to shoot all the plates for the visual effects shots.
The movie has a humorous bent. They definitely took a “tongue in cheek” approach. I thought a lot of the scenes and sight gags were hilarious.
King plays Luke Skywalker. His son Liam plays Darth Vader. Some of the performers play multiple parts. A dog plays Chewbacca.
Overall, I thought the cast did a great job (and no one takes themselves too seriously).
I remember when I was a kid in the 1970s and 80s using cardboard tubes from finished rolls of wrapping paper as lightsabers. My friend David H. and I had a memorable lightsaber battle with them one time at his house (there wasn't much left of the tubes when we were done).
It sounds like their next project is a cardboard version of “Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back.” I’m eagerly awaiting that one.
In the meantime, be sure to check out Zach King’s current foray into “a galaxy far, far away” (especially if you are a “Star Wars” fan like me).
Visit the Secondhand Movie Co. YouTube channel to watch the movie and learn more: youtube.com/@SecondhandMovieCo
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