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Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Alec Guinness. Cinematography by Peter Suschitzky. Edited by Paul Hirsch. Produced by Gary Kurtz. Written by George Lucas, Leigh Brackett, and Lawrence Kasdan. Directed by Irvin Kershner.
The rebels have set up base on the ice planet Hoth, but the location is soon discovered by the Galactic Empire and an army is sent to destroy it. After a fantastic battle, the rebels concede defeat and flee the planet. Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and C3PO make their way to Bespin, a city in the clouds, where they hope to repair their damaged ship. Luke and R2D2 venture off to the planet Degobah, where Luke hopes find the Jedi Master Yoda and continue with his training. But shortly after it begins he leaves to save his friends, who have been betrayed.
During the production of American Graffiti stress continued to mount on George Lucas until he was physically ill. While doing post-production work on Star Wars he was hospitalized for chest pains, though they were only a result of hypertension and exhaustion. He vowed to never take on the mental anguish of directing a film ever again. The problem was that though he was already wealthy from the unpredictable successes of his two previous films, he felt an obligation to complete the trilogy that he had started. And if a sequel to Star Wars was not started in two years, the rights would go to Twentieth Century Fox to do with it as they pleased. So after a thorough search, the highly stylized filmmaker Irvin Kershner was hired as the director for The Empire Strikes Back. Now that he had his director, Lucas wanted to keep his participation to a minimum. He didn’t even want to write the film, but was forced to when his screenwriter Leigh Brackett died of cancer two weeks after she finished her first draft. He spent the next six months writing his next version. Finally, in desperation he nearly forced it on Raiders of the Lost Ark writer Lawrence Kasdan, who came up with the final shooting script.
Lucas relied heavily on Fox for funding in Star Wars, but was able to risk his own money for The Empire Strikes Back. His plan was to only use Fox for the distribution of the film. But unfortunately the film’s production was a financial disaster. The budget started off at fifteen million dollars, but was quickly boosted up to eighteen and a half million before they even started filming. Production delays bumped the cost up to twenty five million dollars and Lucas needed to search for additional funding. Bank of America, where the initial loan was written, denied Lucas’ request for an additional three million dollars. After a few more rejections he finally found hope at The First National Bank of Boston, who took over the Bank of America loan and agreed to add the three million he needed, but only with a guarantee from Fox. Lucas reluctantly approached Fox, who gladly gave the guarantee for a healthy percentage on their end. The film finally capped out at thirty three million dollars and easily become the most expensive independent motion picture ever made. But again the investment paid of in spades. Despite Lucas’ concerns that the film was much too dark, audiences came at it in herds. The Empire Strikes Back’s success allowed Lucas to fund his next film, The Return of the Jedi, entirely by himself.
Budget: $18,000,000
Total US Gross: $290,271,960
Genre: Science Fiction
Runtime: 124 Minutes
US Release Date: 5/21/80
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Awards: Academy Awards: Won for best sound. Nominated for best art direction/set decoration and best original score. Golden Globes: Nominated for best original score. Writers Guild of America: Nominated for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium.
Tagline: The Adventure Continues...
Quote: “Yes, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force, but beware of the dark side. Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice.”
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