The Empire Strikes Back (also known as Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back)is a 1980 American epic space-opera film directed by Irvin Kershner. Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan wrote the screenplay, with George Lucas writing the film’s story and serving as executive producer. It was produced by Gary Kurtz for Lucasfilm and stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, David Prowse, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, and Frank Oz. It is the second installment in the original Star Wars trilogy, the second of the franchise to be produced, and the fifth episode in the “Skywalker saga”. It is set three years after the first film.
- Starring : Mark Hamill / Harrison Ford
- Genre : Action / Adventure / Fantasy / Sci-Fi
- Country : United States
- Language : English
- Director : Irvin Kershner
- Production : Lucasfilm
- Distributor : Twentieth Century Fox / 20th Century Fox / 20th Century Fox Argentina / Fox Films / Hoyts Distribution / Kommunenes Filmcentral (KF) / CBS/Fox Video / CBS/Fox / Showtime Video / National Broadcasting Company (NBC) / Independent Television (ITV) / Nippon AVC Co. / Fox Video / Yleisradio (YLE) / Finnkino / CBS / Fox Video Far East / Home Video Hellas (HVH) / Egmont Entertainment / 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment / FS Film / Gativideo / Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment / 20th Century Fox Entertainment / Mainostelevisio (MTV3) / Sub / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment / Filmes Castello Lopes / Abril Vídeo / CBS Electronics / CBS/Fox Home Video / Disney XD / Fox-Paramount Home Entertainment / ITV 1 / ITV 2 / Intercontinental Video / Mayco / Paramount Home Entertainment / SF Norge A/S / UGC-Fox Distribution (UFD) / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back movie
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back release date
- May 17, 1980 : USA (Washington, D.C.) (premiere)
- May 20, 1980 : UK (London) (premiere)
- May 21, 1980 : UK
- May 21, 1980 : USA (Seattle International Film Festival)
- May 21, 1980 : USA (limited)
- June 20, 1980 : USA
- June 27, 1980 : Ireland
- June 28, 1980 : Israel
- June 28, 1980 : Japan
- August 7, 1980 : Australia
- August 15, 1980 : Sweden
- August 20, 1980 : France
- October 3, 1980 : Spain
- July 31, 1981 : USA (re-release)
- November 19, 1982 : USA (re-release)
- May 5, 1983 : Australia (re-release)
- February 21, 1997 : USA (special edition)
- April 9, 1997 : France (special edition)
- April 10, 1997 : Australia (special edition)
- April 10, 1997 : Germany (special edition)
- April 11, 1997 : Switzerland (German speaking region) (special edition)
- April 11, 1997 : UK (special edition)
- April 11, 1997 : Ireland (special edition)
- April 11, 1997 : Sweden (special edition)
- June 12, 1997 : Singapore (special edition)
- July 5, 1997 : Japan (special edition)
- February 1, 2007 : France (Gérardmer Fantasticarts Film Festival)
- October 8, 2016 : USA (Mill Valley Film Festival)
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back cast
- Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker
- Harrison Ford as Han Solo
- Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia
- Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian
- Anthony Daniels as C-3PO
- David Prowse as Darth Vader
- Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca
- Kenny Baker as R2-D2
- Frank Oz as Yoda(voice)
- Alec Guinness as Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi
- Jeremy Bulloch as Boba Fett
- John Hollis as Lando’s Aide
- Jack Purvis as Chief Ugnaught
- Des Webb as Snow Creature
- Clive Revill as Emperor(voice)
After the success of the original Star Wars film, Lucas hired Leigh Brackett to write the sequel, before personally outlining the saga as a whole and finishing the film’s script himself. The story follows the Galactic Empire, under the leadership of the villainous Darth Vader and the mysterious Emperor, in pursuit of Luke Skywalker and the rest of the Rebel Alliance. While Vader relentlessly pursues Luke’s friends—Han Solo, Princess Leia, and others—Luke studies the Force under Jedi Master Yoda. When Vader captures Luke’s friends, Luke must decide whether to complete his training and become a Jedi Knight or to confront Vader and save them.
Following a difficult production, The Empire Strikes Back was released on May 21, 1980. It received mixed reviews from critics initially but has since grown in esteem; it is now widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time and the best film in the Star Wars saga. It became the highest-grossing film of 1980 and, to date, has earned more than $547 million worldwide from its original run and several re-releases. When adjusted for inflation, it is the second-highest-grossing sequel of all time and the 13th-highest-grossing film in North America. The film was followed by Return of the Jedi, which was released in 1983.
In 2010, the film was selected for preservation in the United States’ National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
Three years after the destruction of the Death Star, the Rebel Alliance, led by Princess Leia, has set up a new base on the ice planet Hoth. The Imperial fleet, led by a merciless Darth Vader, hunts for the new Rebel base by dispatching probe droids across the galaxy. Luke Skywalker is captured by a wampa while investigating one such probe, but manages to escape from its lair using the Force and his lightsaber. Before Luke succumbs to hypothermic sleep, the Force spirit of his deceased mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, instructs him to go to Dagobah to train under Jedi Master Yoda. Han Solo discovers Luke, and the two are rescued by a search party the next morning.
Meanwhile, the probe alerts the Imperial fleet to the Rebels’ location. The Empire launches a large-scale attack using AT-AT walkers to capture the base, which forces the Rebels to evacuate. Han and Leia escape with C-3PO and Chewbacca on the Millennium Falcon, but the ship’s hyperdrive malfunctions. They hide in an asteroid field, where Han and Leia grow closer amidst tension and briefly kiss. Several bounty hunters, summoned by Vader, assist in finding the Falcon. Meanwhile, Luke travels with R2-D2 in his X-wing fighter to the swamp planet of Dagobah, where he crash-lands. He meets a diminutive creature who reveals himself to be Yoda; after conferring with Obi-Wan’s spirit, Yoda reluctantly accepts Luke as his apprentice. Luke learns more about the Force from Yoda, and the Jedi master lifts his X-wing out of the swamp.
After evading the Imperial fleet, Han’s group travels to the floating Cloud City on the planet Bespin, which is governed by Han’s old friend, Lando Calrissian. Unbeknownst to the group, the bounty hunter Boba Fett has tracked the Falcon. Shortly after their arrival, Lando betrays the group to Darth Vader, who plans to use the group as bait to lure Luke, intending to capture him and turn him to the dark side. Luke experiences a premonition of Han and Leia in pain and, against the wishes of Yoda and Obi-Wan, abandons his training to rescue them.
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