Greedo has a new line in the Disney+ version of Star Wars: A New Hope — and no one knows what it means
Who shot first?
It might not be one of Forky's questions, but it is perhaps the greatest conundrum of our time, up there with "what happens after you die," "what existed before the Big Bang," and "is the hit movie Frozen actually a giant cover up so people don't stumble onto the 'truth' about Walt Disney having been cryogenically frozen?" But truth-seekers who want to know which version of Han Solo's showdown with Greedo made it onto Disney+ are going to have more questions than just that. Chiefly: What on Earth is a Maclunkey?
In the original 1977 Star Wars film, Han Solo famously shot the bounty hunter Greedo, who was holding him at gunpoint, after a few threats. When director George Lucas re-released the film in 1997, he went back to edit the scene so Greedo actually fires on Han first, making Han's shot a return-fire, so the murder of Greedo is a little more justified. The question of who shot first has been the subject of controversy and endless discussion ever since.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
On Tuesday, Disney+ uploaded a completely new version of the divisive scene in Star Wars: A New Hope. In this one, Han and Greedo still exchange their barbs, but then Greedo has an extra line of dialog before shooting first: He shouts "Maclunkey!"
What does it mean? Even Star Wars superfans are stumped by the utterance, although there is a rumor that "maclunkey" was added back during a 4K restoration that was never released.
Most impressive of all: Who'd have thought that after all these years, we'd have a new question about Greedo to keep us up at night? Jeva Lange
Update 2:47 p.m. ET: Disney confirmed to The Verge that "maclunkey" was added to the scene by Lucas prior to the studio's purchase of the Star Wars franchise in 2012.
-
Are pesticides making florists sick?Under the Radar Shop-bought bouquets hide a cocktail of chemicals
-
Will Trump’s 10% credit card rate limit actually help consumers?Today's Big Question Banks say they would pull back on credit
-
3 smart financial habits to incorporate in 2026the explainer Make your money work for you, instead of the other way around
-
‘One Battle After Another’ wins Critics Choice honorsSpeed Read Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, won best picture at the 31st Critics Choice Awards
-
Son arrested over killing of Rob and Michele ReinerSpeed Read Nick, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has been booked for the murder of his parents
-
Rob Reiner, wife dead in ‘apparent homicide’speed read The Reiners, found in their Los Angeles home, ‘had injuries consistent with being stabbed’
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
