This is a much better version of the Treatment synopsis of the Reddit Leak, which has been confirmed as Original by Trevorrow.
Hindsight is 20/20 and all and I'm not sure if this would have made for a "better" film than JJ's but it definitely would have been much different, if not more cogent and coherent.
Spoiler!
The film’s original title is “Star Wars: Duel Of The Fates” and it begins with The First Order having cut off all communication between planets to suppress a rising rebellion inspired by Luke’s stand at the Battle of Crait. The Resistance’s mission is to re-open communication and call the galaxy to war.
The opening sequence of the film is set at the Kuat Shipyards and sees Finn, Rose, and BB8 steal a Star Destroyer full of old Imperial weapons and vehicles. During this heist Finn sees a fallen Stormtrooper without his helmet on and recognizes him. As a result, his internal conflict when it comes to killing his former brothers and sisters in arms is reignited.
Kylo Ren is missing as far as now Chancellor Hux is aware, but a now stubbled Kylo is on Mustafar and haunted by Luke’s force ghost. In Vader’s Temple, Kylo finds a hologram recording of Palpatine with a message for Vader – If Luke kills Palpatine, Vader is to take Luke to the Remnicore System to see Palpatine’s teacher Tor Valum.
The Holocron detects Kylo isn’t Vader and explodes in red lighting, burning him in the process – Leia force senses it just as the Kuat team return with their stolen Star Destroyer. Rey is still having nightmares involving her connection to Kylo, but in her researching Luke’s old Jedi texts she learns of a ‘Force Beacon’ – a hidden communication system from the Old Republic that can send a signal to 50 planets and call them to war – a signal the First Order can’t stop. The problem? Said system is under the Jedi Temple on a now enemy-occupied Coruscant.
Force ghost Luke appears as Rey trains, pushing her to get stronger, while Kylo makes it back to Coruscant and confronts Hux before heading off again after picking up and then throwing Vader’s mask off a balcony – his devotion to the man shattered. He confronts the 7000-year-old Tor Valum and begins training with him.
The Resistance splits into two missions. The first has Rey, Poe and Chewbacca going to the planet Bonadan to find guidance for Rey. The second team is Rose, Finn, R2 and 3PO who set out to activate the force beacon.
The first team, pursued by the Knights of Ren, reach Bonadan where a Seer manages to extract a star chart out of Rey’s mind from her visions with Kylo. The Knights of Ren show up and fight Rey in a lightsaber battle.
The second team succeed at igniting the beacon, but the First Order soon cut it off and force them to flee into Coruscant’s underbelly. The pair are captured and sent to a POW camp where Rose is interrogated by Hux. Eventually, they escape with Finn having recruited defecting Stormtroopers to fight back.
Rey and Kylo eventually get to Mortis and battle when it’s ultimately revealed Kylo killed Rey’s parents at the behest of Snoke. Towards the end attempts are made to save Ben, but are unsuccessful and he is ‘extinguished’.
Leia brings her forces to Coruscant to battle the First Order with fighting in space and on the ground. Chewie flies an X-Wing at one point. The film ends with Finn and Rose taking all the Force-sensitive youth to a remote planet so Rey can train the next generation of Jedi including ‘Broom Boy’.
The other month came reports that Leia’s servant was Rey’s mother in this version of the script, that was immediately debunked as they were from Jack Thorne’s version of the script. Trevorrow exited the project one month after Thorne was hired to rewrite Trevorrow and Connolly’s script.
Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud:
You guys may or may not have seen this but supposedly, the Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connelly's early draft of their Episode IX script was leaked on Reddit. It sounds legit and would have been very, very different from the movie that was eventually made and released.
I'll put it in Spoiler Tags to make it easier to read:
Spoiler!
Trevorrow's draft is from 12.16.16 (a week before Carrie's death)
Title is DUEL OF THE FATES
CRAWL:
The iron grip of the FIRST ORDER has spread to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. Only a few scattered planets remain unoccupied. Traitorous acts are punishable by death.
Determined to suffocate a growing unrest, Supreme Leader KYLO REN has silenced all communication between neighboring systems.
Led by GENERAL LEIA ORGANA, the Resistance has planned a secret mission to prevent their annihilation and forge a path to freedom...
Opens at the Kuat Shipyards (man on a mission-style)
BB-8 and Rose Tico (allegedly a key character in script) are infiltrating Kuat Moon where First Order build their ships (workers are oppressed). There is an orbital ring and moon below it. Finn and Poe are there. No R2/3PO. Rey arrives.
The plan: Send explosive into the power shaft that delivers raw ore into the ring.
Plan goes wrong. (RBM loves dialogue at this moment.) First Order is able to contain blast. Admiral Vaughn says Resistance tactics are "pitful."
Rey disguised as a Tusken Raider is revealed to have created her own weapon (a double-blade lightsaber hybrid of her staff and Luke's cracked saber).
They battle and Poe, Finn, Rose, Rey, and BB-8 STEAL A STAR DESTROYER (Eclipse-class) and escape.
The Knife 9 a ship containing the Knights of Ren arrives a Kuat. Ataska (?) Ren kills Admiral Vaughn for his failure.
CUT TO: CORUSCANT. No longer a vibrant city. "The new structures are built atop the art deco structure of the old republic." Occupied by the First Order now (they have a citadel/palace there). Citizens are scavengers now. Hux is now CHANCELLOR HUX and is addressing Bisc Kova (traitor who helped Resist. steal Star Destroyer.) Kova is executed with a light blade guillotine.
Hux and Commander Selleck have a meeting with several alien war lords (ode to ANH imperial council scene). First Order has allies. They are aware of Rey being the last Jedi. Council wants to know WHERE IS KYLO REN? He is missing. Hux only knows he has gone searching for something of great power.
CUT TO: MUSTAFAR. Kylo Ren is alone, except for a Darth Maul-esque droid. He has stubble indicating search has been for a long time. Ren is being HAUNTED by Luke's force ghost.
Luke: "This is where the dark path leads; an empty tomb." Kylo (retort): "Where did your path lead?"
Luke is trying to convince him to go back to Leia. Kylo: "I'm going to be more powerful than any Jedi...even you."
In Vader's Temple, Kylo finds a Sith Holocron which reveals a hologram of Palpatine. Recording is for Vader. Palpatine has a contingency for Vader if Luke kills him. Vader is to take Luke to the Remnicore (?) System to see TOR VALUM, Master of Sith/Palpatine's Teacher.
After scanning Kylo, the Holocron explodes and releases red lighting which burns Kylo, who screams.
CUT TO: RESISTANCE BASE on KOR-ALAF (?). Leia is introduced as she feels what's happening to Ben. Chewbacca and Lt. Connix tell Leia that the Kuat team is back. They're shocked to see a Star Destroyer (which is landed onto the planet). Funny moment w/ Rey using Mind Trick on First Order officers who were still on the ship.
Rey confides in Finn that she doesn't feel like she has what it takes to be a Jedi and can't live up to everyone's expectations. Finn asks her if she still senses Kylo. Rey confesses she's been having nightmares. Finn asks if it's Kylo. Rey says she can't explain their connection.
Finn: "You have to shut him out. He can't change. It's too late." Rey: "It's never to late to change. You taught me that Finn."
Resistance realizes that the Star Destroyer stills has most of it's weapons (tanks, TIEs, etc). Only missing piece is an army to use it.
Rey researching the Jedi texts from Anch-To discovers that under Coruscant Jedi Temple there is a communication system (called a FORCE BEACON) from the Old Republic that can send a signal to 50 planets. They plan on using it to get allies. First Order can't stop it, since it predates Imperial tech. Rey: "Hope is all we have left."
Force Ghost Luke appears as Rey trains. Luke is pushing Rey to get stronger in the Force, while he is pushing Kylo to let Ben out.
Kylo makes it back to Coruscant. Face is damaged. Mandalorian armor is smelted and is been applied to his face. Confronts Hux and belittles him, saying he doesn't need titles.
Rey to Luke as they train: "Balance? The dark suffocates the light, light extinguishes the dark. Over and over and over again. How is that balance in the force?"
Luke: "I know that anger. My father had it too.'
Rey: "So says my master and his master before him. A thousand masters so eager to tell us how to live."
Rest of exchange between Rey and Luke is basically Rey trying to back away from being a Jedi (she admits she is NO ONE) and Luke trying to convince her (he says the Force is speaking to her).
Back to Kylo. He and Hux continue to snipe at each other. Kylo says he's leaving again, but not before telling Hux the power he discovered will make destroying planets insignificant. Kylo's last order to Hux: "Find the Resistance, wipe them out, leave the girl to me."
TEAM A (Rose, Finn, R2, 3PO): Going to Coruscant to light the beacon.
TEAM B (Rey, Poe, Chewbacca): Going to a planet to find someone to help Rey figure out what she needs to do. (side: Yes, his descrp. is that vague)
Kylo is going to a Sith Planet/Remnicore. EDIT: Before he leaves Coruscant, he takes Vader's mask and says he understands Vader now. Kylo: "You allowed love to cloud your judgement" and he throws Vader's mask off of a balcony and it shatters.
Leia stays at the base overseeing the Resistance.
Before Rey leaves, she and Leia have an exchange were Rey says she believes there's still good in Kylo. Leia is skeptical, but Rey believes in her Jedi Training. Leia: "You're not like my father or my brother. You're new. Whatever happens, remember the force choose you Rey. You're story isn't written by anyone else."
RMB starts summarizing now:
First Order tracks down stolen Star Destroyer to Kor-Alaf. Resistance escapes.
TEAM A successfully infiltrates the Jedi Temple and turn on the beacon. Cut to different places around the galaxy receiving the signal (Bossk cameo). It is then cut off by the First Order. TEAM A then flee into the underbelly of Coruscant.
TEAM B are being pursued by the Knife 9 (Knights of Ren ship) and eventually reach the planet Bonadan.
Kylo reaches Remincore and confronts Tor Valum (7000 yrs old, alien of unknown origin, spindly, intense sinewy muscle -- very Lovecraftian). Kylo begins training with Valum. Ode to ESB Cave scene: Kylo fights Vader. Fight is brutal and Kylo loses.
Bonadan: Poe takes Rey to a Seer who can pull information out of memories. The Seer pulls a star chart out of Rey's mind from her visions w/ Kylo. Knights of Ren show up and fight Rey in a lightsaber battle. She defeats them and TEAM B escapes.
Both Rey and Kylo eventually get to MORTIS.
Leia asks Lando if he will organize the smugglers and fight the First Order.
Rose is captured and tortured by the First Order, but is able to escape.
Finn/R2/3PO start a citizens uprising on Coruscant around the First Order's Citadel/Palace.
Leia brings her forces to Coruscant to battle the FO. Massive space battle, ground battle (ROTJ-style you know the works lol). Chewie flies an X-Wing.
Rey and Kylo battle on Mortis, using force energy that can pull from each other. At some point is revealed Kylo killed Rey's parents at the behest of Snoke. Towards the end, Luke/Obi Wan/Yoda appear as Force Ghosts to save Ben, but are unsuccessful. Ben is "extinguished."
RMB seems to be at the end, so just for house keeping sake - Resistance won, First Order loses.
One final deet: Han Solo did appear in the script and does confront Kylo at some point.
Not terribly better than JJs but better than just killing off Ben. I still would’ve like to see Rey embrace the dark side and Ben end up saving the day [Reply]
Originally Posted by Sorry:
Not terribly better than JJs but better than just killing off Ben. I still would’ve like to see Rey embrace the dark side and Ben end up saving the day
This outline reads a lot like The Last Jedi in that there IS a potentially great movie there, but a few details need to be culled (like the 7,000,000,000 year old sith lord, who JJ pretty much just replaced with Palps) to make it successful.
They just replace those moments with Ben having visions of Vader on his own and having these insightful conversations with Luke, that could be awesome.
TROS was always going to be cookie cutter fan-service, which is precisely why JJ was hired on. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Superturtle:
That would've flowed better as an ending to this trilogy, I guess.
Spoiler!
Guessing it wasn't given the green light because of Ben not being redeemed?
First off, my apologies for that awful transcription. I've found a much better version and I'll replace that one shortly.
Secondly, it was a Treatment, which is different than a Rough Draft of a Script, which is how it was (incorrectly) described on Reddit.
A Treatment is more than an Outline but far less than a script. It's basically a collection of ideas about how the story *should* unfold, with Capitalized Words in places. It's kind of weird to read at first, especially someone that's new to the business, and whoever transcribed it from Reddit didn't know how to read and transcribe properly.
From my understanding (this what I was told by Disney insiders) is that Trevorrow's script leaned heavily on Luke & Leia, as he felt they were extremely under-utilized in the first two sequels. He wrote the part about Han appearing to Kylo Ren, which is part of the reason why he and Connelly received Story By Credit. Basically, he wanted the OT heroes to be heroes once again.
Also, Lucasfilm (ahem, KK), was pissed that Poe, Finn & Rey weren't as central to the story and that Kylo's end was "too dark". Apparently, they battled and battled and battled until KK just outright fired Trevorrow, without a plan in place.
So Trevorrow actually understood what people wanted from the OT characters, then. Also, killed off your Big Bad in the 2nd movie. If you weren't prepared for the consequences that followed, like potentially making Kylo the actual real main antagonist, DONT FUCKING DO THAT!!! God, KK needs to go. [Reply]
