Star Wars Author Had a Panic Attack Before Writing Revenge of the Sith

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It has been 20 years since the film was released in theaters. The third movie in the prequel series went on to make almost $1 billion around the world and also inspired a successful book adaptation written by Matthew Stover.

Before the 20th anniversary Deluxe Edition comes out on Oct. 14, Entertainment Weekly was given an exclusive preview of the author’s note by Matthew Stover that will be included in the new release. The book, published by Random House Worlds, features more than 170 notes from Stover, including his admission that he experienced a panic attack when he initially agreed to write the novelization of Revenge of the Sith.

Stover also elaborated on meeting Star Wars creator George Lucas in 2004. In an excerpt from the book, Stover recalled that he visited Skywalker Ranch three times, once for Revenge of the Sith, and once each for New Jedi Order and Clone Wars publishing projects. He remembered meeting Lucas on the second floor of the main house and walking past a detailed eight-to 10-foot model of a Victory-class Star Destroyer.

“Looking back, I regret not taking more time to fully appreciate it – it was truly remarkable – but at the moment, I was completely focused elsewhere,” Stover explained. “This meeting I was heading into was set to be the most significant event of my career,” he said. “I’d dedicated days to preparation, and my mind was already full. I was preoccupied with a complex thought,” he continued.

Stover explained, “The idea struck me during the panic attack I had right after agreeing to write the novelization. It started because I’d unwisely promised to write a crucial part of the Skywalker saga, knowing it would be seen by the largest audience of my career – and that the entire Star Wars-loving community would expect an exciting space adventure, even though all the major plot twists had been revealed for years.”

Stover Used His Knowledge of Greek Tragedy for Revenge of the Sith

A lot of the stress came from the fact that Stover had to write the novelization of Revenge of the Sith before the movie was fully completed. He only had the script and what he knew about Star Wars from Lucasfilm, as Stover explained. However, the writer ultimately credited his background – particularly his study of ancient Greek plays and tragedies – with helping him succeed.

The more I considered Greek tragedy, the more suitable it appeared to be. He remarked, “Classical tragedies were based on Greek mythology and legends, weren’t they?” Besides the Revenge of the Sith novel, Stover has also authored New Jedi Order: Traitor, Shatterpoint, and Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor within the Star Wars universe.

When Stover met with Lucas to discuss the Revenge of the Sith novel, he presented his ideas. “I intended to start by discussing key concepts to see if we shared a similar vision-things like Jedi beliefs, what the Force actually is, and the meaning of the Chosen One prophecy. I had prepared around thirty topics to cover,” Stover explained. “The meeting was scheduled for two or three hours, but I only got through about five or six of those topics-Lucas has a wealth of Jedi history and knowledge that he hadn’t shared publicly before.”

I was eager to get to the most challenging part of my explanation, but I needed to build up my confidence first. Even then, I was hesitant to jump right in, so I started cautiously. “So… moving ahead, as I get into the actual writing,” I began, trying to sound casual, “how closely should I follow the original material? Are you expecting a faithful recreation, scene by scene? For instance, do you want me to use your exact words, or…” Stover explained that Lucas interrupted him with a wave of his hand, demonstrating a key aspect of what made him, well, George Lucas. The brand name. The legend we all know. To this day, I can still picture the twinkle in his eye and hear his laugh.

Star Wars enthusiasts have several exciting projects coming up, notably Star Wars: Starfighter, featuring Ryan Gosling. The film is expected to arrive on Disney+ around 2026.

The Star Wars franchise is streaming on Disney+

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2025-10-02 17:10