Chewbacca — Character Concept

McQuarrie’s early Chewbacca concept depicted a more feral, lemur-like creature than the gentle giant audiences would come to love. Lucas described Wookiees as tall, hairy beings inspired by his dog Indiana sitting in the passenger seat of his car. McQuarrie explored several directions — some more ape-like, others more alien — before arriving at the design that makeup artist Stuart Freeborn would translate into the iconic costume worn by Peter Mayhew.