If the launch of Disney+ this week sparked plenty of conversation, much of it was dominated by one word: ‘Maclunkey’. The version of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope that appeared on the streaming service featured yet another George Lucas tweak to the Cantina scene – with Greedo now inexplicably saying something that sounds a lot like ‘Maclunkey’ just before being shot by Han Solo. Speaking to Empire, original Greedo actor Paul Blake revealed he was “confused” by the latest change – which he was notified about by Bib Fortuna himself.
“Mike Carter, who plays Bib Fortuna, texted me and said, ‘MACLUNKEY!’” a bemused but lively Blake told Empire. “I said, ‘What the fuck are you talking about?’ He said, 'New discovery! It could be as important as Howard Carter and the Tutankhamun tomb.' I didn't know what he was talking about for 10 minutes, until I had a look at the scene.”
While the majority of Greedo’s eventual dialogue in the film was recorded by actor Larry Ward, Blake had no memory of ‘Maclunkey’ featuring in his original scripts. “I haven't looked at it for about 20 years – it's somewhere up in my attic,” he said. “I'm sure it doesn't say ‘Maclunkey’.” He added: “Greedo wasn't even a Rodian when we filmed it, he was just called 'The Alien'. George was forced to stick in that scene when he cut all the stuff with Declan [Mulholland], who played the original Jabba The Hutt. My little bit in English was just a simple, straightforward cowboy scene.”
As for what ‘Maclunkey’ means, Blake has his own tongue-in-cheek theory. “I shall say it was Greedo's last gasp. It's a Rodian thing. Just before you expire, every Rodian says 'Maclunkey'. It's some ancient tradition.” Read Empire’s full Maclunkey-centric interview with Blake here.
UK Star Wars fans can watch the new ‘Maclunkey’ edit when Disney+ arrives over here on 31 March 2020.