12 'Star Wars' Easter Eggs In Other Movies
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We are all used to looking for Star Wars easter eggs in the other movies in the franchise, whether it be blue milk in Star Wars: Andor or the position of the dejarik pieces aboard the Millennium Falcon in The Force Awakens. However, did you know that there are plenty of Star Wars references in films outside the saga? Here are some of the best.
12. Boogie Nights (1997)
When Don Cheadle was trying to sell stereos, he mentioned TK-421, the designation of the stormtrooper whose armor Luke Skywalker “borrowed” during Princess Leia’s rescue in A New Hope.
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11. Friday The 13th (2009)
In the remake of this iconic horror movie, one of the characters wore a stylish AT-AT T-shirt with artwork by none other than Ralph McQuarrie. Unfortunately, Wade was killed off pretty quickly, but as far as Easter eggs go, this is one that we wish was available in stores.
10. Coming To America (1988)
James Earl Jones starred in this quirky comedy as the King of Zamunda. Dressed in royal finery, standing in the middle of a fast-food restaurant he uttered Darth Vader’s infamous line, “I’ll deal with him myself.” Coming to America came out in 1988, so the scriptwriters knew exactly what they were doing.
9. Dunkirk (2017)
The director decided to base the cinematography for the film’s dogfights on the Battles of Yavin and Endor. The dialogue was also very similar despite being set in the Second World War. The homage was not that strange considering Lucas’ original aerial fight scenes were inspired by Spitfires in war-time newsreels.
8. Indiana Jones Films (1981 onwards)
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With George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan’s roles in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, it is no shocker that the trilogy would be full of Star Wars Easter eggs. The most obvious reference was in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The nightclub in which Willie Scott met Dr. Jones was named Club Obi-Wan. R2-D2 and C-3PO also appeared as hieroglyphs in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Incidentally, the character of Indiana was named after George Lucas’ dog, so the banter that Dr. Jones had with his father in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, “We named the dog Indiana,” was based on reality.
7. Ant-Man (2015)
Yellowjacket’s lasers might sound familiar. The sound effect was the same as the one created for the AT-AT cannons in The Empire Strikes Back.
6. Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
Even before Disney purchased Lucasfilm, they were not averse to putting Star Wars Easter eggs in their movies. Atlantis: The Lost Empire used the landspeeder sound effect repeatedly during the destruction of the city in the movie’s opening. There were also reportedly brown stormtroopers littered throughout the movie. However, the most delightful Easter egg was the Gungan bongo flying across the right side of the screen in the last few minutes of the movie. You can find it in this clip from 4:20 starting on the right and circling around the city.
5. Poltergeist (1982)
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Kathleen Kennedy produced Poltergeist, so it was only fitting that this movie had more Star Wars references than your average episode of Family Guy. The special effects were done by Industrial Light & Magic, a division of Lucasfilm. Two of the three producers of Poltergeist were also working with George Lucas on the Indiana Jones trilogy, so it was no wonder Star Wars got some nods. Robbie’s bedroom was a Star Wars shrine with toys, bedsheets, and posters. It is every fan’s dream…well apart from the scary ghost.
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Image Source: Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki
After being frozen in ice, Steve Rogers did the sensible thing and made a list of all the pop culture he needed to consume to make up for the last sixty-six years. The notebook had a different list depending on what country the movie was shown in, but Star Wars was on every version of the list. It also appeared to be the only thing that Rogers found time to do!
3. Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
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In this “blink and you’ll miss it” moment, you could spot Millennium Falcon flying out from a Borg cube. Industrial Light & Magic worked on both franchises. Despite their fans often being at loggerheads, you will often find Star Wars references in the Federation.
2. The Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King (2003)
The death of Théoden in the movie was a little different from the book. In the book, it was not Éowyn but Merry and Éomer that were with him at the end. So the inclusion of Vader’s last message to Luke was no accident. The camera angles were very similar as well. Peter Jackson is known to be a big Star Wars fan, and even visited the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story set. He clearly just could not help himself!
1. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
You are probably already aware of a lot of Star Wars Easter eggs in this movie like Elliot’s action figures, and the child in Yoda costume. What most people might not notice is that when Yoda was on screen, we could also hear a small snippet of “Yoda’s Theme.”
E.T’s race is also canon in the Star Wars universe after they were included in The Phantom Menace.
This is not a definitive list. There are many more Star Wars Easter eggs out there, so keep your eyes peeled. Some directors, such as Kevin Smith, mention Star Wars so many times in their works that it could fill this entire list. We should give an honorable mention to Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back, in which Mark Hamill has a hilarious cameo. Star Wars is now part of the fabric of our society, part of the zeitgeist, and these acknowledgements will crop up more and more.
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Source(s): Star Wars Fanpedia, Independent, Smithsonian Magazine, IMDb