Zach King is well known for creating mind-bending visual spectacles, but his latest project might be his most ambitious yet. He and his talented team reimagined the original Star Wars as a full-scale fan film starring human actors, with set pieces, props, and environments crafted entirely from cardboard.
In celebration of all things Star Wars on May the 4th, we spoke with King about bringing the project to life. You can watch the full film now on YouTube.
HGL: When did this idea really click for you, and how long did it spend in pre-planning?
Zach King: The idea really clicked when we started talking about how to pay tribute to Star Wars in a way that felt true to its original spirit. Those films were so innovative for their time, so we thought, what if we imposed a creative constraint that forced us to be just as scrappy? That’s where the idea of making it out of cardboard and filming it in five days concept came from.
Pre-planning was actually pretty intense. We gave the team two weeks to build everything.
HGL: The dedication and effort that went into making it happen are so impressive. Was there anything you wanted to include but couldn’t due to budget, scope, or other constraints?
Zach King: Definitely. When you’re working with a tight timeline and a specific material like cardboard, you have to make some tough calls. There were a few sequences and details we would’ve loved to expand, like bigger set pieces and more elaborate environments. But in a weird way, those limitations made the final product more creative. It forced us to think like the original filmmakers and problem-solve in real time.
HGL: Anyone following along has seen all the behind-the-scenes work that has gone into this. Can you tell us a bit more about the team?
Zach King: This project was such a team effort. It was kind of organized chaos in the best way. Our director, Josh Fapp, really helped bring the vision together and keep everything moving at a crazy pace. On the art side, Noah Coots and Robert Kern III led the charge, building out the cardboard world in a way that felt both scrappy and authentic.
Ethan Montgomery headed up our VFX team and helped blend all the practical elements together seamlessly. And Dave Cortez, our DP, pulled off something incredible. He essentially shot a whole feature with just two helpers, which is kind of insane when you think about the scale of what we were doing. There are so many others that helped make this project happen.
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HGL: The cast is also fantastic. We always look forward to seeing Jamie Costa in anything Star Wars-related, and Randall Park brings his A-game to every role he takes on. Did you have them in mind from the start?
Zach King: We’ve worked with Jamie and Randall many times before and thought they would both be perfect for the project. Jamie was someone we were really excited about early on, especially because he has done many Star Wars projects already. Randall was a dream to work with. Once they were both on board, it really elevated everything.
HGL: Do you remember your first experience with Star Wars?
Zach King: Leading up to Episode I in 1999, I saw the re-releases of the original trilogy in theaters. That was my first real exposure, and I remember being completely pulled into that world. It definitely stuck with me and shaped how I think about storytelling.
HGL: You’ve teased fans that The Empire Strikes Back could be next. Are there any other franchises you’d like to take on?
Zach King: We’ve joked about what else could get the cardboard treatment. I think anything with a really distinct visual language would be fun to reinterpret. But for now, we’re definitely having fun exploring more within Star Wars.
HGL: Have you heard from anyone at Lucasfilm?
Zach King: We’ve seen a lot of love from fans online, which has been amazing. Nothing official to share just yet, but it’s been really cool seeing the Star Wars community embrace the project.
