Revolt in the Stars

"Revolt in the Stars" is a science fiction film screenplay written by Scientology founder and science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard in 1977.cite book | last =Atack | first =Jon | authorlink =Jon Atack | title = | publisher =Carol Publishing Group | date =1990 | location =New York | pages =248, 261, 286 | isbn = 081840499X] It tells the space opera story of a massacre orchestrated by an evil alien galactic dictator Xenu. The story follows the Scientology "OT III" Xenu space opera, where 75 million years ago the villain Xenu traps his subjects, transports them to Earth, and kills them with atomic bombs around the bases of Earth's volcanoes. The film screenplay was promoted around Hollywood circles in 1979, but attempts at fundraising and obtaining financing fell through, and the film was never made. Unofficial copies of the screenplay circulate on the Internet.

Xenu space opera

The story of "Revolt in the Stars" provides details on the incidents involving the Xenu space opera which Hubbard said took place 75 million years ago.cite book | last =Lewis | first =James R. (editor) | authorlink =James R. Lewis|coauthors=J. Gordon Melton (introduction) | title =The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements | publisher =Oxford University Press | date =2004 | pages =427, 541 | isbn = 0195149866] cite news | last =Schlüter | first =Christian | title =Superkolossales Kino - Scientology und Hollywood: Kein Einzelfall, sondern Wahnsinn mit Methode | work =Frankfurter Rundschau | page =31 | date =January 23, 2008|language=German ] In Scientology space opera theology, the villain "Xenu" or "Xemu" addressed an overpopulation problem in his Galactic Confederacy by trapping beings, flying them to the volcanoes of Earth (then known as Teegeeack),cite web|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050707/EDITOR/50707001|title=Xenu-phobia: Scientology in 'War'?|work=rogerebert.suntimes.com|publisher=Roger Ebert website at Chicago Sun-Times|accessdate=2008-06-03|date=July 7, 2005|last=Emerson|first=Jim (Editor, RogerEbert.com)] and exploding them with hydrogen bombs.cite news | last =Koff | first =Stephen | title =Xemu's cruel response to overpopulated world | work =St. Petersburg Times | page =10A | date =December 23, 1988 ] Their spirits, called "thetans" were trapped in frozen alcohol and glycol and implanted with abnormal behavior patterns, and according to the story these "implants" exist in human beings today. This event in Scientology teachings is known as "Incident II". According to Scientology documents revealed in court from a 1985 trial in Los Angeles, California, this story forms the basis of Scientology's OT III theology.

"The Washington Post" reported that "The plot of 'Revolt' mirrors a sacred Scientology text called "'OT III'." Former Scientologist Gerry Armstrong said that the screenplay story is identical to the Scientology space opera theology, and in his book "Bare-faced Messiah" author Russell Miller described "Revolt in the Stars" as "...a dramatization of high-level Scientology training about events which happened seventy-five million years ago when an evil ruler by the name of Xenu massacred the populations of seventy-six planets, transported their frozen spirits back to earth and exploded them in volcanoes".

Plot

In the screenplay's story which takes place 75 million years ago, an evil galactic ruler "Xenu" massacres millions of people and is assisted by "Chu", the Executive President of the Galactic Interplanetary Bank, and "Chi", the Galactic Minister of Police. Xenu's psychiatric advisers "Stug" and "Sty" help him gather "unwanted" beings from all of the planets in his control and transport them to Earth. The beings are stacked around the bases of Earth's volcanoes including Loa, Mount Vesuvius, Mount Shasta, Mount Fuji, Mount Etna and others, and exterminated with planted charges of atomic bombs.cite book | last =Savino | first =John, Ph.D. | coauthors =Marie D. Jones | title =Supervolcano: The Catastrophic Event That Changed the Course of Human History | publisher =Career Press | date =2007 | pages =55 | isbn = 1564149536] Hubbard writes: "Great winds raced simultaneously across the face of Earth, spreading tales of destruction..." Xenu's massacre of these beings is called "Phase III". Character "Mish" is one of the only "Loyal Officers" who survives Xenu's organized massacre, and other characters include "Lady Min" and a hero figure, "Rawl".

Development

Hubbard wrote the screenplay in 1977,cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/06/AR2005070601403.html|title=John Travolta's Alien Notion: He Plays a Strange Creature In a New Sci-Fi Film, but That's Not the Only Curious Thing About This Project|work=The Washington Post|publisher=The Washington Post Company|accessdate=2008-06-03|date=November 28, 1999|last=Leiby|first=Richard] while living in seclusion in Sparks, Nevada with three members of the Commodore's Messenger Organization from the Church of Scientology.cite book | last =Miller | first =Russell | authorlink =Russell Miller | title =Bare-faced Messiah | publisher =Michael Joseph books | date =1987 | location =London | pages =352-353 | isbn = 0718127641] He went into seclusion in July 1977, and by December had finished his work on the 140-page screenplay and was ready to begin production of a film version. [cite web|url=http://www.suburbia.com.au/~fun/scn/press/9509xenu.html|title=VICE 1995: Revolt In The Stars (No News Is Xenu's)|work=Xenu (Victorian Inter-Campus Edition 1995)|publisher=www.suburbia.com.au|accessdate=2008-06-03|date=October 1995|last=Gerard|first=David] "Revolt in the Stars" was registered as a screenplay with the United States Copyright Office in November 1977, with Diana Meredith Dewolf Hubbard, Hubbard's daughter, listed as copyright claimant, [United States Copyright Office - "Revolt in the Stars" by L. Ron Hubbard, Type of Work: Dramatic Work and Music; or Choreography, Registration Number / Date: RE0000928392 / 2005-12-08, Renewal registration for: DU0000105973 / 1977-11-07, Copyright Claimant: Diana Meredith Dewolf Hubbard] and registered for release as a novel in May 1978 with Hubbard himself as claimant. [United States Copyright Office - "Revolt in the Stars" by L. Ron Hubbard, Type of Work: Text, Registration Number / Date: TXu000004150 / 1978-05-17, Title: Revolt in the stars / by L. Ron Hubbard., Copyright Claimant: L. Ron Hubbard, Date of Creation: 1978, Previous Registration: Prev. reg. as a screenplay, Revolt in the stars, DU105973, 1977., Basis of Claim: New Matter: rearrangements for release as a novel.] A former Scientologist and Sea Org member told the "Los Angeles Business Journal" that Hubbard intended to distribute the film publicly so that people inhabited with thetans would become "restimulated and upset", and be motivated to learn more about Scientology.cite web|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m5072/is_n35_v13/ai_11296190/print|title=Scientologists emerge as creators of mystery-shrouded movie firm - Church of Scientology members run Future Films - company profile|work=Los Angeles Business Journal|accessdate=2008-06-03|date=September 2, 1991|last=Rackham|first=Anne] Hubbbard moved to the Scientology facilities at La Quinta, California and began production on Scientology "Tech films" which demonstrated the practice of "Auditing". A ten-acre ranch in Indio, California was purchased in addition to a 140-acre ranch called Silver. The Tech films were produced at the Silver location, and by 1980 Hubbard had made plans to film "Revolt in the Stars" and publicize the Scientology OT III theology.

Hubbard's screenplay for "Revolt of the Stars" was passed around Hollywood in 1979. A production company called "A Brilliant Film Company","Henderson, Gregory F. v. A Brilliant Film Co. et al." No. 164213. California Superior Court, San Joaquin County, California. Filed May 14, 1982] also "Brilliant Films", announced plans in October 1979 to produce "Revolt in the Stars" as an independent film production.cite news|title=Coast cult chieftan backs big $49 million sci-fi movie venture|work=New York Post|date=October 11, 1979|last=Staff] The "New York Post" reported that the film had a US$49 million budget, and was described as "a science fiction thriller". One of the parties involved with A Brilliant Film Company, Gregory F. Henderson, had a contract to shoot the film. After Brilliant Film went bankrupt Henderson filed suit against the company along with other defendants including Hubbard in May 1984. Bent Corydon writes in "" that millions of dollars in funding for film production of "Revolt in the Stars" was raised from investors, but "Highly questionable methods of fund raising brought the project to a halt."cite book | last =Corydon | first =Bent | coauthors =L. Ron Hubbard Jr. | title = | publisher =Lyle Stuart | date =1987 | location =New Jersey | pages =172-173, 184-185, 363-364 | isbn =0818404442] Efforts to promote the screenplay and get it developed as a film were unsuccessful, and Hubbard focused on writing "Man, the Endangered Species" which later became the novel "Battlefield Earth". "Revolt in the Stars" never received commercial financing, and the film was not released.

Author Services Inc., the for profit subsidiary company of the Church of Spiritual Technology, controls development of "Revolt in the Stars" in addition to Hubbard's other writings. In a 1983 press release announcing that the independent feature film company Salem Productions Inc. had acquired motion picture and ancillary rights to "Battlefield Earth" in a deal with Author Services Inc., "Revolt in the Stars" is listed as one of Hubbard's "classics". [cite news| last=Press release|title =PR Newswire - October 14, 1983, Friday | work =PR Newswire Association, Inc. | publisher =Contacts listed: Ed Margulies of Salem Productions and Bill Widder of Dateline Communications for Salem Productions | date =October 14, 1983] Copyright was transferred in 1993 with the Church of Spiritual Technology and trustee for L. Ron Hubbard, Norman F. Starkey, listed as parties. [United States Copyright Office - "Model of OT ship organization and operation based on 7 division system & 7,730 other titles. (Part 004 of 040)", Document: V2927 P238-724, 145: Revolt in the stars (1977) DU105973. 146: Revolt in the stars (1978) TXu 4-150. Date of Recordation: 1993-12-13, Date of Execution: 1993-11-29, Notes: Transfer of copyright. Party 1: Norman F. Starkey, trustee, Author’s Family Trust-B. Party 2: Church of Spiritual Technology (Los Angeles)] Scientologist and actor John Travolta was involved in developing "Battlefield Earth" into a film of the same name, and in 1996 "New York Daily News" wrote of reports that he also wanted to develop "Revolt in the Stars" into a film. [cite news|title=Scientologists Say This Crusade's By the Book|work=New York Daily News|date=June 10, 1996|last=Rush|first=George; Joanna Molloy, Baird Jones] According to the website Operation Clambake a synopsis of the screenplay was posted to the newsgroup alt.religion.scientology in 1995. [cite web|url=http://www.xenu.net/archive/WIR/wir0-19.html#7|title=Revolt in the Stars|work=Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review|publisher=Operation Clambake|accessdate=2008-06-03|date=August 27, 1995|last=Keller|first=Rod] Scientology critic Grady Ward published a summary of the material. [cite web|url=http://www.suburbia.net/~fun/scn/pers/fun/xenu/revolt.html|title=Revolt In The Stars - summary by Grady Ward|publisher=www.suburbia.net|accessdate=2008-06-03|last=Ward, Grady] "The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements" notes that "Revolt in the Stars" remains one of Hubbard's unpublished science fiction works but unofficial copies circulate on the Internet, and this is confirmed in "The Encyclopedic Sourcebook of UFO Religions" by James R. Lewis,cite book | last =Lewis | first =James R. (editor) | authorlink =James R. Lewis | title =The Encyclopedic Sourcebook of UFO Religions | publisher =Prometheus Books | date =November 2003 | pages =42 | isbn =1573929646 ] and "New Religions: A Guide", edited by Christopher Partridge.cite book | last =Partridge| first =Christopher | authorlink =Christopher Partridge | coauthors =J. Gordon Melton | title =New Religions: A Guide: New Religious Movements, Sects and Alternative Spiritualities | publisher =Oxford University Press | date =May 6, 2004 | pages =374 | isbn =0195220420]

Analysis

In "The Encyclopedic Sourcebook of UFO Religions", James R. Lewis cites "Revolt in the Stars" when comparing Hubbard's science fiction works to Scientology. "Scientology in itself would also be an interesting case for studying 'ufological' strands - e.g., the relation between L. Ron Hubbard's science fiction novels and the Whole Track mythology, which is probably most evident in the case of Hubbard's unpublished novel "Revolt in the Stars"," writes Lewis. "Revolt in the Stars" is cited in "New Religions: A Guide", in a subsection on "Non apocalyptic ufology": "According to Scientology, a fierce intergalactic ruler named 'Xenu' carried the thetans to Earth". The author finds it interesting that L. Ron Hubbard explored the story of the "ancient ruler Xenu" further in the form of "Revolt in the Stars".

Jim Emerson, editor of the Roger Ebert website hosted by "The Chicago Sun-Times", compared elements of the Xenu story and "Revolt in the Stars" to the 2005 film remake "War of the Worlds" starring Scientologist Tom Cruise. Emerson noted that some critics drew parallels between "War of the Worlds" and Scientology mythology. In a January 2008 article in "Frankfurter Rundschau", Christian Schlüter commented on the screenplay and recounted the Xenu story. Schlüter wrote that the Scientology mythology was appropriate for cinema and fit into the environment of Hollywood.

References

External links

*cite web|url=http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/atack/bs6-1.htm|title="A Piece Of Blue Sky" - Part 6, Chapter 1: Making Movies|publisher=David S. Touretsky website|last=Atack, Jon
*cite web|url=http://www.factnet.org/halt.htm|title=Warner forced to halt distribution of Travolta film, Battlefield Earth?|publisher=FACTnet|accessdate=2008-06-03 (Account of film promotion process)
*cite web|url=http://w2.eff.org/Censorship/Academic_edu/CAF/batch/?f=1995_09_17.txt|title=EFF: Computers & Academic Freedom - 1995-09-17|work= [http://w2.eff.org/Censorship/Academic_edu/CAF/ Computers & Academic Freedom] |publisher=Electronic Frontier Foundation|date=September 17, 1995|last=comp-academic-freedom mailing list