The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- The original script for The Empire Strikes Back was written over a decade before production finally began in 1980.
- Many of the practical effects used in the climax were achieved without any CGI.
- Before Mark Hamill was cast, several major A-list stars turned down the lead role because they felt the script was too risky.
The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas. It is the second film in the original Star Wars trilogy and the fifth chronological installment of the Star Wars franchise. The film stars Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Harrison Ford as Han Solo, Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian, and features the voice of Frank Oz as Jedi Master Yoda.
The story follows the Rebel Alliance as they are pursued by Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire, while Luke trains with Yoda on the swamp planet Dagobah. The film is renowned for its darker tone compared to the original and for containing one of cinema's most famous plot twists. Initially receiving mixed reviews from critics who found it incomplete, The Empire Strikes Back is now widely regarded as not only the best Star Wars film but one of the greatest sequels ever made.
