Empire was released to movie theaters 40 years ago this week, and for the occasion The Bits features a compilation of statistics and box-office data that places Empire’s performance in context, plus passages from vintage film reviews, a reference/historical listing of the movie’s higher-quality 70mm showcase presentations, and, finally, an all-new interview segment with a trio of Star Wars authorities and historians who reflect on the movie’s impact and legacy four decades after its debut.

And, lastly, before we begin… in case you missed them or desire a refresher read, the Bits’ other Star Wars-themed retrospectives include Star Wars 40th anniversary, The Empire Strikes Back 35th anniversary, Return of the Jedi 30th anniversary, Return of the Jedi 35th anniversary, and The Phantom Menace 20th anniversary (plus a 10th anniversary look at Fanboys).

EMPIRE NUMBER$

• 1 = Rank among top-earning films during opening weekend
• 1 = Rank on list of top-earning films of 1980
• 2 = Number of Academy Awards
• 2 = Peak all-time box-office chart position (rentals)
• 2 = Rank among Fox’s all-time top-earning films at close of original run
• 3 = Number of Academy Award nominations
• 3 = Peak all-time box-office chart position (gross)
• 3 = Rank among top-earning movies produced by Lucasfilm (adjusted for inflation)
• 3 = Rank among top-earning Star Wars movies (adjusted for inflation)
• 7 = Rank among top-earning movies of the 1980s
• 11 = Number of weeks top-grossing film (weeks 1-3 and 5-12)
• 11 = Rank among top-earning movies produced by Lucasfilm
• 11 = Rank among top-earning Star Wars movies
• 13 = Rank on current list of all-time top-grossing films (adjusted for inflation)
• 16 = Minimum number of weeks first wave theaters were contractually required to play the film
• 54 = Number of months between theatrical release and home-video release
• 59 = Number of days to surpass $100 million
• 61 = Number of weeks of longest-running engagement
• 100 = Rank on current list of all-time top-grossing movies
• 127 = Number of opening-week bookings
• 136 = Number of 70mm prints
• 823 = Number of bookings during first week of wide release

• $38,972 = Opening-weekend per screen average
• $1.3 million = Opening-day box-office gross (126 theaters, May 21)
• $4.9 million = Opening-weekend box-office gross (3-day; 127 theaters, May 23-25)
• $6.4 million = Opening-weekend box-office gross (4-day; 127 theaters, May 23-26)
• $7.4 million = Box-office rental (1982 re-release)
• $9.6 million = Opening-week box-office gross (7-day; 127 theaters, May 21-27)
• $10.8 million = Box-office gross for first weekend of expanded release (823 theaters, June 20-22)
• $13.3 million = Box-office gross (1982 re-release)
• $14.2 million = Box-office rental (1981 re-release)
• $28.0 million = Box-office gross (1981 re-release)
• $32.0 million = Production cost
• $34.0 million = Amount 20th Century-Fox received in advance guarantees from exhibitors
• $67.6 million = Box-office gross (1997 re-release)
• $99.6 million = Production cost (adjusted for inflation)
• $120.0 million = Box-office rental (original release)
• $134.2 million = Box-office rental (original release + 1981 re-release)
• $141.6 million = Box-office rental (original release + 1981 & 1982 re-releases)
• $181.4 million = Box-office gross (original release)
• $209.4 million = Box-office gross (original release + 1981 re-release)
• $222.7 million = Box-office gross (original release + 1981 & 1982 re-releases)
• $290.5 million = Box-office gross (original + 81, 82 & 97 re-releases)
• $919.2 million = Box-office gross (original + 81, 82 & 97; adjusted for inflation)

A SAMPLING OF MOVIE REVIEWER QUOTES

“The Empire Strikes Back is a worthy sequel to Star Wars, equal in both technical mastery and characterization, suffering only from the familiarity with the effects generated in the original and imitated too much by others. Only boxoffice question is how many earthly trucks it will take to carry the cash to the bank.” — Jim Harwood, Variety

“The Empire Strikes Back joins The Godfather, Part II as one of the rarest of films — a sequel that lives up to and expands upon its original.” — Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune

“Kershner gives the material a sense of peril and tension that the original conspicuously lacked. If the first film was adventure-as-a-lark; Empire is adventure with menace and meaning.” — John Hartl, The Seattle Times

“The Empire Strikes Back is a lifeless copy of Star Wars propelled chiefly on the momentum of that earlier film. Without the likes of a Peter Cushing or Alec Guinness to add some dignity and solid support, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford flounder in roles that are certain to doom their careers regardless of the series’ success. Critics who labeled this film ’better than Star Wars’ must have been watching the audience instead of the performance.” — Frederick S. Clarke, Cinefantastique

“Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, like all superior fantasies, have the quality of parable, not only on good and evil but on attitudes toward life and personal deportment and there is something very like a moral imperative in the films’ view of hard work, determination, self-improvement, concentration, and idealism. It does not take a savant to see that this uplifting tone only a little less than the plot and effects is a central ingredient of the wide outreach of the films.” — Charles Champlin, Los Angeles Times

“This is no ordinary sequel. Lucas and his company have used their Star Wars profits to make a film far more sophisticated in its technical effects. Lucas’ imagination is as bountiful as ever, and he seems to have taken up where Disney left off. There are disappointments in The Empire, but it retains that special sense that fairy tales have — a moral dimension that touches us much more deeply than one-dimensional action adventures can.” — Gerald Clarke, Time

“The Empire strikes out. It is embarrassing to watch the stand-offish princess be romanced successfully by Solo with one, brief kiss. Given the scope of the project, such childish innocence — even when well acted, as most of the movie is — turns vapid and trite. Even less satisfactory is the development of the impetuous Skywalker as he confronts the dark side of his personality during a fight with a vision of Darth Vader. He beheads the vision only to learn, as the helmeted head smashed to the ground, that — lo and behold — his own face is inside. That simple-minded scene is the only stage setting for the movie’s biggest surprise — Skywalker’s near surrender to Vader after Vader informs him they are father and son.” — Mary Hellman, The San Diego Union

“The film’s problem is that the ending isn’t really an ending. So many loose ends are left dangling that one finds almost maddening the prospect of waiting three years for the third movie to resolve the situation.” — Paul Johnson, (Little Rock) Arkansas Gazette

“The Empire Strikes Back is malodorous offal… everything is stale, limp, desperately stretched out, and pretentious. Harrison Ford (Han) offers loutishness for charm and becomes the epitome of the interstellar drugstore cowboy. Mark Hamill (Luke) is still the talentless Tom Sawyer of outer space — wide-eyed, narrow-minded, strait-laced. Worst of all is Carrie Fisher, whose Leia is a cosmic Shirley Temple but without the slightest acting ability or vestige prettiness.” — John Simon, National Review

“In an era of diluted, dismal, and deadly sequels, this one delights — and it’s certain to do the business. It’s a dazzling continuation of the space adventures of Luke Skywalker — light years ahead of the space operas of recent months. Everything else is artificial; this is the heavy cream of the crop.” — Wayne Harada, The Honolulu Advertiser

“Along with its breathtakingly spectacular special effects, the film is to be applauded for its ability to incorporate the themes, values and characters of the first film and move ahead without repeating itself.” — Eric Gerber, The Houston Post

“The Empire Strikes Back is, perhaps, proof of something I’ve been suspecting for some time now. That is, that there is more nonsense being written, spoken and rumored about movies today than about any of the other so-called popular arts except rock music. The Force is with us, indeed, and a lot of it is hot air.” — Vincent Canby, The New York Times

“Visually, the new installment conveys a sense of generosity that surpasses even the original: in any corner of the frame one can discover a delightfully gratuitous detail — a space lizard climbing up a tree, a puff of rocket exhaust, a barely glimpsed robot — that creates a sense of a totally inhabited fantasy world. The Empire Strikes Back is a technological triumph, a cornucopia of intergalactic tchotchkes.” — David Ansen, Newsweek

“Empire is the only motion-picture sequel I can think of — ever — that is not less effective than the original. Usually, the popular elements of a hit film become the ingredients of the sequel formula, repeated in the hope that large audiences will again flock to see the same things they loved the first time around. If Lucas was that kind of filmmaker, Empire would have included another cantina, another garbage compactor, another planetary destruction and another regal ending. But it didn’t. And we didn’t get the Star Trek treatment either — wherein characters we all know and love recite their standard familiar lines all over again.” — Kerry O’Quinn, Starlog

“One of the qualities that made Star Wars fun for children and adults was its tongue-in-cheek humor. George Lucas didn’t seem to be taking his marvelous comic strip inventions seriously, and it was possible to sit back, relax and enjoy R2-D2 and C-3PO without pondering the deeper meaning of it all. There wasn’t any. Now a pinch of Freud and a touch of Zen have been added to muddy the Milky Way in The Empire Strikes Back. The kiddies’ response to the strange new encounters of their hero, Luke Skywalker, with the evil Darth Vader could provide doctoral thesis material for millennia.” — Judy Stone, San Francisco Chronicle

“Even for those without the tunnel vision of a movie fanatic, The Empire Strikes Back rivals the numerous world crises as one of the day’s important topics. We can all relax — and, for that matter, maybe even rejoice. The Empire Strikes Back is funnier, spookier, more technically advanced and frequently just as clever as Star Wars, its record-breaking antecedent. It also makes Superman seem like a soggy Milk Dud and Star Trek: The Motion Picture seem like evaporated milk.” — Philip Wuntch, The Dallas Morning News

“A more impressive and harrowing magic carpet ride than its fundamentally endearing predecessor, Empire pulls the carpet out from under you while simultaneously soaring along.” — Gary Arnold, The Washington Post

“It is a dazzling feast for the eye, the sort of film with so much going on in each frame you want to see it again immediately.” — Desmond Ryan, Philadelphia Inquirer

“The Empire Strikes Back has arrived. And it’s wonderful…the audience is on its feet cheering.” — Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

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THE 70MM ENGAGEMENTS

Listed here are the theaters in the United States and Canada that screened a 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo print of The Empire Strikes Back during its first-run release. The duration of each engagement, measured in weeks, has been included in parenthesis following the applicable theater name. These engagements commenced May 21st 1980 (except where noted otherwise).

ALBERTA

• Calgary — Famous Players’ Palliser Square Twin (20)
• Edmonton — Famous Players’ Paramount (29)

ARIZONA

• Phoenix — Plitt’s Cine Capri (30)
• Tucson — Plitt’s El Dorado Twin (24) [opened June 18th]

ARKANSAS

• Little Rock — UA’s Cinema 150 (20)

BRITISH COLUMBIA

• Vancouver — Famous Players’ Stanley (18)

CALIFORNIA

• Corte Madera — Marin’s Cinema (18)
• Fresno — Festival Enterprises’ Festival 6-plex (38)
• La Mirada — Pacific’s La Mirada Mall 6-plex (24) [opened June 27th]
• Lakewood — Pacific’s Lakewood Center 4-plex (24) [opened June 27th]
• Los Angeles (Hollywood) — UA’s Egyptian Triplex (30)
• Los Angeles (Westwood Village) — GCC’s Avco Center Triplex (22)
• Los Angeles (Woodland Hills) — UA’s Warner Center 6-plex (29) [opened June 27th]
• Modesto — Redwood’s Briggsmore (20) [opened June 18th]
• Montclair — UA’s Towne Center Plaza 6-plex (32) [opened June 27th]
• Monterey — Kindair’s Cinema 70 (15) [opened June 18th]
• Newport Beach — Edwards’ Newport Twin (25)
• Orange — Syufy’s Cinedome 6-plex (#1: 30)
• Orange — Syufy’s Cinedome 6-plex (#2: 11)
• Sacramento — Syufy’s Century 6-plex (39)
• San Diego — Pacific’s Cinerama (30)
• San Francisco — Plitt’s Northpoint (28)
• San Jose — Syufy’s Century 22 Triplex (43)

COLORADO

• Denver — Commonwealth’s Cooper Twin (30)

CONNECTICUT

• East Hartford — Redstone’s Showcase 8-plex (30)
• Orange — Redstone’s Showcase 5-plex (18)
• Stamford — Trans-Lux’s Ridgeway (16)

DELAWARE

• Claymont — SamEric’s Eric Tri-State Mall Triplex (30)

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

• Washington — K-B’s Cinema (29)

FLORIDA

• Kendall — Wometco’s Dadeland Twin (21)
• North Miami Beach — Wometco’s 163rd Street (22)
• Winter Park — Wometco’s Park Twin (23)

GEORGIA

• Atlanta — Plitt’s Phipps Plaza Triplex (30)

HAWAII

• Honolulu — Consolidated’s Cinerama (30)

ILLINOIS

• Belleville — BAC’s Cinema (14)
• Calumet City — Plitt’s River Oaks 4-plex (19)
• Champaign — Kerasotes’ Virginia (20)
• Chicago — GCC’s Ford City Triplex (16)
• Chicago — Plitt’s Esquire (18)
• Lombard — GCC’s Yorktown 4-plex (18)
• Moline — Dubinsky’s Parkway (26)
• Niles — Fink’s Golf Mill Triplex (19)
• Norridge — M&R’s Norridge 4-plex (16)
• Orland Park — Plitt’s Orland Square 4-plex (16)
• Peoria — Plitt’s Madison (16)
• Schaumburg — Plitt’s Woodfield 4-plex (18)
• Springfield — Kerasotes’ Esquire 4-plex (18)

INDIANA

• Fort Wayne — MSM’s Holiday Twin (20)
• Indianapolis — Y&W’s Eastwood (23)

IOWA

• Des Moines — Dubinsky’s River Hills (30)
• Dubuque — Dubuque’s Cinema Center 4-plex (12)

KANSAS

• Wichita — Dickinson’s Mall (22)

KENTUCKY

• Erlanger — Redstone’s Showcase 7-plex (36)
• Lexington — Mid States’ Northpark 6-plex (14)
• Lexington — Mid States’ Southpark 6-plex (30)
• Louisville — Redstone’s Showcase 9-plex (37)

LOUISIANA

• Metairie — GCC’s Lakeside 5-plex (20)

MARYLAND

• Towson — Rappaport’s Hillendale Twin (19)

MASSACHUSETTS

• Boston — Sack’s Charles Triplex (22)
• Brookline — Redstone’s Circle Triplex (15) [opened June 18th]
• Seekonk — Redstone’s Showcase 6-plex (19)
• West Springfield — Redstone’s Showcase 8-plex (18)
• Worcester — Redstone’s Showcase 4-plex (17)

MICHIGAN

• Bloomfield — Redstone’s Showcase 5-plex (17)
• Burton — Plitt’s Eastland Mall (18)
• Harper Woods — SDT’s Eastland Twin (18)
• Livonia — SDT’s Terrace Twin (30)
• Southfield — NGT’s Americana 4-plex (28)
• Southgate — NGT’s Southgate Triplex (29)
• Sterling Heights — Redstone’s Showcase 7-plex (30)

MINNESOTA

• Bloomington — GCC’s Southtown (24)
• Brooklyn Center — Plitt’s Brookdale (30)
• Roseville — GCC’s Har-Mar Triplex (29)

MISSOURI

• Creve Coeur — Wehrenberg’s Creve Coeur (30)
• Kansas City — AMC’s Midland-Empire 7-plex (27)

NEBRASKA

• Omaha — Douglas’ Cinema Center 4-plex (20)

NEVADA

• Las Vegas — Plitt’s Parkway Triplex (26) [opened June 18th]

NEW JERSEY

• Edison — GCC’s Menlo Park Twin (23)
• Lawrenceville — SamEric’s Eric Twin (20)
• Moorestown — SamEric’s Eric Plaza (22)
• Paramus — RKO Stanley-Warner’s Route Four 4-plex (23)

NEW YORK

• Cheektowaga — Holiday’s Holiday 6-plex (20)
• Colonie — Cinema 5’s Colonie Twin (19)
• DeWitt — Cinema National’s Shoppingtown Twin (22)
• Lawrence — RKO Stanley-Warner’s Lawrence Triplex (20)
• Levittown — Loews’ Nassau 4-plex (23)
• New York — Cinema 5’s Murray Hill (19)
• New York — Loews’ Astor Plaza (20)
• New York — Loews’ New York Twin (7) [opened June 18th]
• New York — Loews’ Orpheum Twin (18)
• Pittsford — Loews’ Pittsford Triplex (30)
• Yonkers — GCC’s Central Plaza Twin (18)

NORTH CAROLINA

• Charlotte — Plitt’s Park Terrace Twin (30)
• Fayetteville — Consolidated’s Bordeaux Triplex (28)
• Greensboro — Plitt’s Terrace Triplex (19)
• Raleigh — Plitt’s Cardinal Twin (28)
• Winston-Salem — Plitt’s Thruway Twin (19)

OHIO

• Columbus — Mid States’ Continent 7-plex (30)
• Dayton — Chakeres’ Dayton Mall 4-plex (30)
• Springdale — Redstone’s Showcase 7-plex (36)
• Toledo — Redstone’s Showcase 4-plex (30)
• Trotwood — Mid States’ Salem Mall 4-plex (29)
• Whitehall — Sugarman’s Cinema East (20)

ONTARIO

• Hamilton — Famous Players’ Tivoli (18)
• London — Famous Players’ Park (18)
• Toronto — Famous Players’ University (18)
• Windsor — Famous Players’ Centre (18)

OREGON

• Beaverton — LT’s Westgate Triplex (37)
• Eugene — LT’s Cinema World 4-plex (33)

PENNSYLVANIA

• Allentown — SamEric’s Eric Triplex (19)
• Bensalem — AMC’s Premiere Twin (30)
• King of Prussia — SamEric’s Eric Plaza Twin (20)
• McCandless — Redstone’s Showcase North 8-plex (18)
• Monroeville — Redstone’s Showcase East 5-plex (17)
• Philadelphia — SamEric’s SamEric (30)
• Pittsburgh — Cinemette’s Warner (16)
• Robinson — Redstone’s Showcase West 5-plex (30)

QUEBEC

• Montreal — Odeon’s Place du Canada (17)

TENNESSEE

• Memphis — Southern Theatre Service’s Park (23)
• Nashville — Martin’s Belle Meade (12)

TEXAS

• Austin — AMC’s Americana (30)
• Dallas — AMC’s Prestonwood 5-plex (38)
• Dallas — GCC’s Northpark West Twin (23)
• Fort Worth — Plitt’s Ridglea (30)
• Houston — AMC’s Westchase 5-plex (38)
• Houston — Plitt’s Alabama (28)

UTAH

• Riverdale — Tullis-Hansen’s Cinedome 70 Twin (30)
• Salt Lake City — Plitt’s Centre (30)

VIRGINIA

• Bailey’s Crossroads — K-B’s Cinema 7 (19) [opened June 18th]
• Springfield — GCC’s Springfield Mall 6-plex (30)
• Vienna — NTI’s Tysons (26) [opened June 18th]

WASHINGTON

• Seattle — UA’s Cinema 150 (61)
• Tacoma — SRO’s Tacoma Mall Twin (30)

WISCONSIN

• Fox Point — Capitol’s Brown Port (18)
• Wauwatosa — UA’s Mayfair (30)
• West Allis — Marcus’ Southtown Triplex (30)

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THE Q&A

Justin Berger is the author of The Empire Strikes Back: Unauthorized Timeline 1975-2020 (2019, Anchorhead Publishing; and revised 2020 Collector’s Edition).

W.R. Miller is the author of The Star Wars Historical Sourcebook: Volume One 1971 to 1976 (2018, Pulp Hero Press).

Richard Woloski is the co-host of Skywalking through Neverland podcast.

The interviews were conducted separately and have been edited into a “roundtable” conversation format.

Michael Coate (The Digital Bits): How do you think The Empire Strikes Back should be remembered on its 40th anniversary?

Justin Berger: I think Empire should be remembered for taking unexpected risks in its storytelling. For not simply re-hashing the first Star Wars but taking it in a new and more interesting direction. It should also be remembered for breaking the mold in terms of sequels. Not to mention the special effects which at the time were cutting edge and ushered in a new era of FX for filmmaking. Mostly though it should be remembered for telling a good story. It’s a film that feels very intimate and personal, which says a lot for a blockbuster that features some very memorable FX scenes (Battle of Hoth, Asteroid chase). It really set the tone for what fantasy sci-fi could be. Lastly I think it should be remembered for its success in the face of adversity. It was over budget and everything was riding on its success or failure. If it had tanked we probably would not have heard from George Lucas again nor would we have Industrial Light & Magic. Empire should be remembered for changing the world in more ways than one.

W.R. Miller: The Empire Strikes Back is an example of a film succeeding after taking enormous risks — of George Lucas investing his own money, millions of dollars, to achieve his personal vision; of the film asking its audience to accept a little green latex puppet as a major character; of staging an epic battle at the beginning and not the end; of leaving its heroes in dire straits, “ending” with a cliffhanger. Had it not performed as well as it did at the boxoffice, the whole future of the Star Wars saga would have been truncated, as well as advancements in creature construction, visual effects, theatrical exhibition, and digital animation.

Lucas had announced eleven Star Wars films in which — according to producer Gary Kurtz — Luke Skywalker wouldn’t even meet the Emperor until Episode IX. Imagine: the Rebel Alliance still had to take on the Imperial Starfleet, involving potentially thousands of Star Destroyers. Who was “the Other”? What other Sith Lords posed a threat in the galaxy? Was Darth Vader really Luke’s dad — or was he a liar? The imagination boggled as to what would happen after Empire. Would the sequel tap into these invigorating potentials — or turn out to be a wasted opportunity?

Empire should also be remembered for making Industrial Light & Magic a permanent fixture for Lucasfilm, and thus benefit the visual effects industry. After Star Wars, many of the crew worked on Battlestar Galactica, which not only kept them employed, but helped prepare them for The Empire Strikes Back — particularly the two-part episode, The Gun on Ice Planet Zero.

Richard Woloski: The Empire Strikes Back should be remembered as one of the greatest films of all time! Not under the label of a science fiction film, fantasy film, and not even just a Star Wars film, but a great film.

Empire is the product that comes when everyone involved respects the source material enough to give it their “A” game. This proves that if filmmakers put attention and care into their story then they may also have a film where 40 years later it is finding a new audience and original fans are still gushing over it. The Star Wars sequel defined a culture where hard core and casual fans would have great conversations and heated debates over a fictional story. The film was made with such conviction that it imprinted on every type of audience member.

When fans think of Empire on its 40th Anniversary they’re going to lose themselves in nostalgic memories, or, younger fans will be doing the math in figuring out how much older the film is than they are.

Coate: What do you remember about the first time you saw Empire?

Berger: The first time I saw Empire was at home on TV. It was on a VHS tape and I was glued to the screen. I feel the way I do about it now as I did then. It’s magical. A truly amazing piece of visual storytelling. As a kid it shaped me in more ways than one and truly affected how I developed as a human being.

Miller: As a fan, I was dying to find out what happens. So I read Don Glut’s novelization, published [before the movie was released], and was stunned to learn about Luke’s parentage — though the secret had already been spoiled in the press months earlier. I also bought the double LP a few days before the film’s release. Good heavens! What depressing music! The opening titles, Yoda’s Theme and the Imperial March appealed, but not enough for me keep the records. I returned them for a refund. Only when I saw the film did I have the context to enjoy John Williams’s music. I now have CDs for the entire trilogy.

The film swept me into that galaxy far, far away and its craftsmanship — the visuals, the pacing, the acting, and to a large degree, the story — was outstanding. If only it had a resolution. It ended with frustration, leaving many questions unanswered. Empire was not the upbeat, swashbuckling joy ride of the first film.

Even Lucas admitted, “More than anything else, that was my biggest concern about this ending was, it really wasn’t an ending. The bad guys win and the good guys limp home wounded.” (George Lucas, DVD commentary, The Empire Strikes Back, 2004.)

A major disappointment was how Irvin Kershner devalued See-Threepio’s character, making him more annoying than ever. Originally, Lucas had envisioned the droid as a used-car salesman, with the ability to fast-talk his way out of predicaments. Such was not the case in Empire.

According to Jonathan Rinzler, Richard Marquand said, “I’d almost found Threepio a drag in Empire. I felt very awful that he’d been given dialogue to do because nobody could think of any way of filling in that space. He also represents the sort of character that I don’t get on with very well, the sort of character that always aggravates me. You can have a few laughs at his expense, but at certain moments I think it went a little too far. It turned out that George agreed with me, which was nice because I wasn’t sure whether he would.”

Threepio almost had a moment of cleverness in Empire. When the Imperials attacked Hoth base, he removed a warning sticker on a door with a room full of wampas — a bit glimpsed in trailer footage. Alas, it wound up on the cutting room floor.

On the years of release, I saw Star Wars twelve times. Empire, five times.

Woloski: I first saw Empire on opening day, May 21, 1980, when I was eleven years old. I didn’t know what to expect since the trailer didn’t look like what a Star Wars sequel should be. It was dark and foreboding and all my friends like Luke, Han, Threepio, and Chewbacca appeared as if they were being tortured or blown up! I remember being so frightened through the whole film especially when R2-D2 was pulled under the Dagobah swamp by some kind of fish monster. Irvin Kershner let his audience sit on the edge of their seat for an eternity wondering if we’re going to ever see the little droid again until he was finally spat out and hurled into the tangled trees.

By the time the “big moment” was revealed that (SPOILER ALERT) Darth Vader was Luke’s father I was too drained to fully take it in. I didn’t realize what Vader said until the second time I saw it. I was ecstatic in hearing the revelation! This meant my world of play was about to open up.

Coate: In what way is Empire a significant motion picture?

Berger: Empire is significant in the way it established itself as the perfect sequel — both in its storytelling and in its monetary success. It broke many molds during production (and records once it was released) and really made Lucasfilm and ILM a force to be reckoned with. Without Empire I don’t think we’d have ILM as it exists today and I really don’t think filmmaking in general would have developed as it has. You have an entire generation of young storytellers who grew up with the reveal of Darth Vader as Luke’s father and I know that affected kids’ minds — it affected mine for sure. It truly is a modern day fairy tale that reverberates with people on such a deep level that I personally think it impacted the world in a way that changed it forever.

Miller: Empire showed Hollywood that the Star Wars phenomenon was not a fluke, that big-budgeted SF films could be enormously successful at the box office, despite the relative failures of SF films from rival studios — The Black Hole, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and Flash Gordon. Empire’s success gave George Lucas the funding he needed to build Skywalker Ranch, make Return of the Jedi, and establish Industrial Light & Magic as the premiere effects facility used by Hollywood. Lucas’s investment in R&D led to improvements in theatrical exhibition (the Theatre Alignment Program) and in the digital revolution (Star Trek II, Willow, The Abyss, Jurassic Park, and Pixar). It was Lucas, not Hollywood, that made these advancements.

Empire was also the last collaboration between Lucas and producer Gary Kurtz.

Woloski: There is so much that makes The Empire Strikes Back a significant film. New technology used to make creatures and all-terrain armored transports come to life. The gamble of using a puppet as an important character who continues Luke’s training in The Force. Most of all it isn’t just a sequel but a continuation. This was a very rare film of the time where sequels would just repeat and use the best-of moments from the original. I am so happy George Lucas never considered having our heroes make a pit stop back at the Mos Eisley Cantina like most filmmakers would have done.

I know before Empire there was The Godfather Part II in 1974 which used the continuation model with great success, but in a film that is made primarily for kids, it would be so tempting to throw anything at the young audience just to make a quick buck.

Coate: What are your thoughts on George Lucas’s decision to serve as executive producer on Empire rather than director as he did on the original movie?

Berger: I think Lucas’s choice to serve as executive producer helped the film move beyond the original. Even though he chose not to direct because of the problems he experienced on Star Wars, it allowed Star Wars to grow beyond Lucas’s own mind and evolve into something bigger and better. Bringing in Irvin Kershner was a blessing as Kershner was focused on the relationships between the characters — which Lucas was less interested in. Luckily Gary Kurtz was there to nurture Kershner’s directing style — even though it cost him his job and his relationship at the time with George. But still, that decision to step away as the director served the film best and I don’t think it would have been as successful if George had remained as director. It’s one of those “happy accidents” (so to speak) that wasn’t really a planned thing, but ended up being one of the main reasons for the movie’s success.

Miller: As a creator, Lucas has the right to hire others to handle his creations, whether it’s Richard Marquand directing Jedi, Ron Howard directing Willow, or trusting Disney to continue Star Wars. In 1978, he established Medway Productions to handle Lucasfilm productions other than Star Wars. They included More American Graffiti and Raiders of the Lost Ark. To direct Empire, he trusted his teacher at USC, Irvin Kershner — a trust that paid off. Until the prequels, Lucas’s plan had been to let others direct the films “then I want to do the last one, so I can do one twice as good as everybody else,” he told Rolling Stone in August 1977.

Woloski: Star Wars nearly killed George. He hated the writing process and wasn’t that comfortable directing actors with anything more than, “faster, more intense.” But he was never going to find a director that could see his vision so he knew he was the only one that could pull this space movie together. George did what a great leader does and that is to find someone else who can do the job better. And he found that person in Irvin Kershner!

George also didn’t want to be on a set for 12-15 hours a day doing one job, he wanted to work on many projects at the same time to support his company, Lucasfilm. With other projects he was working on like More American Graffiti, he knew he wouldn’t do Empire any justice if he chose to stay on as director and the Star Wars saga may have ended there.

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Coate: What are your thoughts on the tweaks and revisions made to Empire over the years (i.e. first run 70mm vs 35mm, Special Edition re-release, subsequent home media releases, etc.)? Which version is your favorite?

Berger: I am not a fan of the “Special Edition” versions of the original Star Wars Trilogy. Thankfully Empire was tweaked least of all the films. I think in the beginning the changes were necessary to make the film better — even if no one really noticed all that much — but they were subtle. A line of dialogue here, a new shot there. It wasn’t jarring or anything.

But the Special Edition changes (while seemingly necessary in part) didn’t really need to be done. I get changing out the Emperor for Palpatine, and opening up Cloud City, and seeing more of the Wampa — it’s all well and good — but it doesn’t make the movie better for me. In fact, it takes me out of it because it’s very jarring (probably because I’ve seen the original more times than I can count). Overall I think the Special Editions were one of the worst decisions George Lucas has ever made.

As for my favorite version, ultimately, I would say the original 35mm print of Empire is my favorite. I’ve seen all of the different versions, but personally Team Negative 1’s Grindhouse version of the film is probably my favorite as it retains the aesthetic of watching it at a drive-in or a Sunday matinee in the theater. I enjoy good quality production and 4K resolution as much as the next person, but there’s still something satisfying about a grainy 35mm print.

Miller: When George Lucas saw the film with an audience, he thought the ending was unclear so he added three shots in the 35mm prints on June 18, according to Tom Smith in Rinzler’s The Making of Return of the Jedi. Gary Kurtz gives a conflicting account to Chris Gore at Film Threat stating that the new shots were done in time for the 70mm prints.

When the original Star Wars trilogy was updated for the Special Editions in 1997, Empire had the fewest changes of the three (Scott Chernoff. Star Wars Insider #49, May/June 2000, “Director Irvin Kershner,” p. 30).

Of the changes, the most damaging — in my opinion — involved Vader addressing the Emperor. Vader already knows about the one who destroyed the Death Star. We’re told that in the opening title crawl (and in The Star Wars Holiday Special and in Star Wars #35, published by Marvel Comics in February 1980). Yet, in the Special Edition, Palpatine states: “We have a new enemy: The young rebel who destroyed the Death Star. I have no doubt this boy is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker.” “How is that possible?” Vader asks with surprise.

“The offspring of Anakin Skywalker” is not revealed until Vader tells Luke, “I am your father.” This will not be a surprise (to the audience) if one sees the prequels first.

Originally, the Imperial shuttle was introduced in Return of the Jedi. Footage of the shuttle, from Jedi, are unnecessarily edited into The Empire Strikes Back: The Special Edition.

After Lucas shoots the prequel trilogy, he replaces Jason Wingreen with Tamuera Morrison as the voice of Boba Fett, and the composite Emperor with the voice of Clive Revill is replaced with Ian McDiarmid.

For The Special Edition, Lucas added four shots of the Wampa to increase the danger to Luke. Irvin Kershner’s response: “I don’t know, I feel that we didn’t need the snow monster, but it’s OK, didn’t hurt anything.” (Scott Chernoff, Star Wars Insider #49, May/June 2000, “Director Irvin Kershner: An Exclusive Interview,” p. 28.)

My preference: Irvin Kershner’s original version.

Woloski: I am always excited to see Star Wars films with revisions as done by the maker himself. I’ve seen Empire probably 100 times before the Special Edition came out in 1997, which included the most significant changes, so I didn’t mind a fresh take. Before that, I loved seeing the film at different theaters since every location had a slightly different version and I had fun spotting the differences. One theater, for some reason, cut out the bounty hunter scene! I wish I was old enough to think about finding the manager to see what possessed them to cut an important scene that set up a new character like Boba Fett. Now the Holiday Special would be really confusing!

As for the revised editions, I always knew that if I ever wanted to see the original theatrical release it was just a VHS tape or DVD away. How many people would not do the same thing as Lucas and go back and change things that bothered you if given the chance. Plus as an extra benefit, he can release them in theaters and make some extra money for his studio and educational programs.

Naturally I would say the 1980 theatrical version of Empire is my favorite since that is what I grew up on, made friends over, and skipped lots of school days to see it at the local theater or watch it on cable TV.

Coate: Where do you think Empire ranks among sequel motion pictures? Among the Star Wars franchise?

Berger: That’s easy — it’s the greatest sequel of all time and the best Star Wars movie ever made. Period.

Miller: Many favor Empire as a better film than Star Wars, including Mark Hamill (though it’s his least favorite in making the films), Kenny Baker, David Prowse, Julian Glover, Kenneth Colley, Robert Watts and Gary Kurtz. But have fans seen Empire more times than the original Star Wars? Statistically, no. Its first-run release garnered $503,015,849 worldwide, while the first run for The Empire Strikes Back earned $400,083,259 worldwide. Star Wars: The Special Edition earned $256,905,873 worldwide, while The Empire Strikes Back: The Special Edition earned $124,830,460 worldwide.

In The Making of Return of the Jedi, Mark Hamill ventured a reason: “The first film was such a guaranteed good time that there was a lot of repeat business from people who looked in the paper and said, ’Well, let’s go and see Star Wars again,’ like a second ride on the Matterhorn at Disneyland. Empire was a much bigger challenge to pull off and was not a repetition of Star Wars in any way. Round two went to Darth Vader, as it were, so the movie didn’t have that same kind of triumphant, giddy, slaphappy feeling as Star Wars. It was a bitter pill to swallow and I’m still amazed that it was so successful.”

Though author Harlan Ellison had panned Star Wars —“Darth Vader sucks running eggs”— he changed his tune when his friend Craig Miller took him to a screening of Empire in England. Ellison wrote in Future Life #22, November 1980, “Though I still maintain that Star Wars had all the smarts of a matzah ball, I was more than pleasantly surprised at Empire. In fact, not to put too fine a pernt on it, kids, I thought it was a helluva piece of filmmaking. Enjoyed it enormously. I came out of the theater with a wide grin in my elfin countenance.”

Peter Mayhew and Lawrence Kasdan are among those who rate Star Wars as the best in the original trilogy. Says Kasdan, “I think that the great, great film is the first Star Wars. I do. It’s hilarious, and it changed movies forever.” (Los Angeles Times, February 13, 2013.)

For me, Empire ties with Jedi for different reasons — factoring the mood, music, visuals, performances and style — but Star Wars remains my favorite.

Woloski: Empire ranks as #1 for sequel motion pictures. I know the majority of fans pick Empire as their favorite Star Wars film. I’m going to answer this question the way Lucas had when someone asked him what his favorite Star Wars film was at the Star Wars 10th Anniversary convention — a convention I call Celebration 0 — “I think of them all as one film so can’t name a favorite.” Each film in the saga is so different that I can’t judge them against each other fairly. (I should be a politician!)

Coate: What is the legacy of The Empire Strikes Back?

Berger: The legacy of the film lies in a lot of what I said earlier in regards to the storytelling, the visual effects, the success, etc. — but I think one thing that I haven’t touched on that should be acknowledged is Empire’s staying power as a film. So many people always cite it as their favorite Star Wars movie — and I think that’s because it’s the best. I mean that in a very quantifiable way. Empire has a very intimate connection it makes with the audience. As I did mention previously, it is masterful in how it balances the personal relationships of the characters with the action scenes, and ultimately how it entwines with the overall Star Wars story arc. But with Empire you still get that popcorn movie fix, but you get something more. Even as a stand-alone film I think it stands head and shoulders above most contemporary films — even as the second act of a three-act structure. It’s not a complicated storyline by any means, but it pulls you in with that intimacy. By the end you’re emotionally invested in Han and Leia’s story, Luke’s story of failure, and the glimmer of hope that closes the movie as the heroes live to fight another day and promise to save their friend. People always talk about Empire ending on a down note, but I disagree. I think it ends on a high note. The relationships have evolved to such strong connections that these people aren’t focused on stopping the Empire as much as they want to rescue their friend and loved one. It has such a heart that I think people overlook that aspect of it because it is so dark. Don’t get me wrong, the darkness is what makes it such a good movie — but it’s that feeling of hope at the end that resonates more when you walk away and you want to see what happens next and continue the adventure. It’s a perfect film sequel. And to bring it back to the film’s staying power, it doesn’t lose anything over time. It doesn’t feel dated. It’s not technically perfect, no, but I think you can show Empire to a kid today and they will react the same way kids did in the 80s (for the most part). It will endure. It has endured. Empire is forever.

Miller: With Empire hailed as a superior Star Wars film, its dark and depressing tone has become the template for modern science fiction and fantasy films, some “ending” in a cliffhanger, like Star Wars Episodes VII and VIII and Avengers: Infinity War. Many of these films have escalated to “PG-13,” introduced in 1984. Rogue One — a prequel to Star Wars — is relentlessly dismal, wiping out most of its cast. Solo: A Star Wars Story, also has a cynical approach, a PG-13, and several appealing characters killed. Gone is the upbeat, swashbuckling fun of the original Star Wars.

Mark Hamill told Jonathan Rinzler, “This thing with dismemberment I’ve been dead set against from the very beginning. What really galled me was the ice monster — I mean, I’m a Jedi. I could have just grazed him.”

Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios president, was so infatuated by Empire’s dismemberment scenes that he makes sure dismemberment happens in his films, as he revealed at a press junked for Avengers: Age of Ultron. See Adam Chitwood, Collider.com, “Marvel Has a Star Wars Easter Egg in Every Phase Two Movie,” April 21, 2015, and “Marvel’s Star Wars Easter Egg – Characters That Lose a Hand!”.

See my answers to questions #1 and #3 for more on Empire’s legacy.

Woloski: The legacy of The Empire Strikes Back is that it has well-developed characters, spiritual lessons, unparalleled action and the biggest twist in motion picture history. And it’s a kids’ film. There isn’t much that Star Wars fans agree on, but we can all say Empire is a phenomenal film!

And, Baby Yoda!

Coate: Thank you — Justin, Bob, and Richard — for sharing your thoughts about The Empire Strikes Back on the occasion of its 40th anniversary.

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IMAGES:

Selected images copyright/courtesy Disney, Dolby Labs, Bobby Henderson, Los Angeles Times, Lucasfilm Ltd., 20th Century Fox.

SOURCES/REFERENCES:

The primary references for this project were regional newspaper coverage and trade reports published in Billboard, Boxoffice, The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety.

All figures and data included in this article pertain to the United States and Canada except where stated otherwise.

IN MEMORIAM:

• Leigh Brackett (Screenwriter), 1915-1978
• John Barry (Second Unit Director), 1935-1979
• Jack Purvis (“Chief Ugnaught”), 1937-1997
• Alec Guinness (“Ben ’Obi-Wan’ Kenobi”), 1914-2000
• Terry Liebling (Casting), 1942-2001
• Des Webb (“Snow Creature”), 1932-2002
• Bruce Boa (“General Rieekan”), 1930-2004
• Peter Diamond (Stunt Coordinator), 1929-2004
• John Hollis (“Lando’s Aide”), 1931-2005
• Michael Sheard (“Admiral Ozzel”), 1938-2005
• David Tomblin (First Assistant Director), 1930-2005
• Peter Sutton (Production Sound), 19??-2008
• Irvin Kershner (Director), 1923-2010
• Bill Varney (Re-Recording Mixer), 1934-2011
• Ralph McQuarrie (Design Consultant and Conceptual Artist), 1929-2012
• Stuart Freeborn (Make-up and Special Creature Design), 1914-2013
• Christopher Malcolm (“Zev [Rogue 2]”), 1946-2014
• Kenny Baker (“R2-D2”), 1934-2016
• Carrie Fisher (“Princess Leia”), 1956-2016
• John Mollo (Costume Designer), 1931-2017
• Gary Kurtz (Producer), 1940-2018
• Peter Mayhew (“Chewbacca”), 1944-2019

- Michael Coate

Michael Coate can be reached via e-mail through this link. (You can also follow Michael on social media at these links: Twitter and Facebook)