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ALL OF YOUR STAR WARS FAVORITES NOW STREAMING ON DISNEY+

Empire at 40 | Latest News + Features

      • "We Could Start on the Ice Planet": Learn How Hoth Came to Be in the Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary Special - Exclusive Excerpt

      • Empire at 40 | Empire Novelizations Through the Years...and Around the World

      • Empire at 40 | From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back Audiobook Cast Revealed - Exclusive

      • Empire at 40 | L3-37 and the "Millennium Collective" Run the Falcon in From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back - Exclusive Excerpt

      • Empire at 40 | The Wonder of A Jedi You Will Be

      • Empire at 40 | The Evolution of Costumes in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

      • Empire at 40 | Funko Takes Fans to Hoth with New Star Wars Pop! Bobbleheads

      • Empire at 40 | The LEGO Star Wars “Bespin Duel” Set Celebrates the Moment That Changed Everything

      • Empire at 40 | 6 Minor Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Characters You Should Know

      • With the SDCC Exclusive Hot Wheels X-wing, Size Matters Not - Exclusive

      • Empire at 40 | Teaching with Star Wars: Lando's Choices in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

      • Empire at 40 | How Adam Gidwitz Reimagined Empire for So You Want to be a Jedi?

      • Empire at 40 | Red and Rogue: The Story of the Rebellion’s High-Flying Squadrons

      • Empire at 40 | The New Vehicles of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

      • Empire at 40 | Revisiting Some of the Many Trips to Hoth in Star Wars Storytelling

      • Empire at 40 | Bake Boba Fett Banana Bread Muffins for a Bountiful Treat

      • Empire at 40 | Check Out the Cover of From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back

      • Empire at 40 | 6 Things We Learned from ILM’s Live Stream Celebration of Empire at 40

      • Empire at 40 | The Stories Behind 5 Amazing Matte Paintings from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

      • Empire at 40 | From a Certain Point of View: What’s the Best Scene in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back?

      • Empire at 40 | Great Gifts for Fans of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back - UPDATED

      • Empire at 40 | Teaching with Star Wars: Han's Advice in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

      • Empire at 40 | The Empire Strikes Back Isn’t Just the Darkest Star Wars Film. It’s Also the Funniest.

      • Empire at 40 | Why We Love Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

      • Empire at 40 | Some Last-Minute Magic: Changes to the Original Ending of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

      • Empire at 40 | Poll: Who is Your Favorite New Character in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back?

      • Empire at 40 | Make Boba "Feta" Salad for a Most Impressive Dinner and Movie Night

      • Poll: What is the Best Scene in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back?

      • Empire at 40 | Teaching with Star Wars: The Wisdom of "Do. Or Do Not."

      • Empire at 40 | 7 Little-Known Facts about the Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

      • Empire at 40 | Save Your Spot With This DIY Lobot Bookmark

      • Empire at 40 | From a Certain Point of View: Was Luke Right to Leave Dagobah with His Training Incomplete?

      • Empire at 40 | 40 Great Quotes from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Celebrating 40 Years of Empire Featurettes

      • 5:33

        Celebrating 40 Years of Empire: The Legacy

        Celebrating 40 Years of Empire: The Legacy

      • 6:53

        Celebrating 40 Years of Empire: Behind the Scenes

        Celebrating 40 Years of Empire: Behind the Scenes

Empire at 40 | Exclusive Interviews

      • Empire at 40 | 15 Things We Learned from StarWars.com’s Interview Series

      • Empire at 40 | How Ben Burtt Turned a Bathtub of Raccoons and Industrial Noise into a Star Wars Soundscape

      • Empire at 40 | Matt Ferguson Discusses the Making of His Incredible Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Poster

      • Empire at 40 | Snow Walkers, Stop Motion, and Dumpster Lids: An Oral History of the Battle of Hoth

      • Empire at 40 | George Lucas on Making “Something That Had Never Been Done Before,” Again

      • Empire at 40 | Designing an Icon: Joe Johnston on the Journey to Create Boba Fett

      • Empire at 40 | “The Most Physically Grueling of Them All”: Mark Hamill on Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Empire at 40 | Transmissions from Lucasfilm.com

      • Defining Moments: “I Am Your Father”

      • History in Objects: A Postcard from Yoda

      • ILM Pioneers Remember The Empire Strikes Back

      • Defining Moments: “I Know”

      • The Empire Strikes Back: A Lucasfilm Family Album

      • History in Objects: Dispatches From The Empire Strikes Back

Happy 40th Anniversary, Empire!

On May 21, 1980, The Empire Strikes Back began its 70mm run in 41 theaters in 16 cities.

"When it came time to open Empire, there was tremendous excitement and everybody agreed we should try something that had never been done before. So we opened it at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles at midnight—and then kept running it without stopping for one full day."

- Sid Ganis (Vice President: Publicity, Lucasfilm)

Scenes

      • 1:28

        Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back - Opening Crawl

        Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back - Opening Crawl

      • 0:33

        Do. Or do not.

        Do. Or do not.

      • 1:07

        Arriving on Dagobah

        Arriving on Dagobah

      • 2:04

        Attack on Echo Base

        Attack on Echo Base

      • 2:03

        Carbon-Freeze

        Carbon-Freeze

      • 0:22

        Chewbacca Repairs Threepio

        Chewbacca Repairs Threepio

      • 0:48

        Cloud City Escape

        Cloud City Escape

      • 1:24

        He Seems Very Friendly

        He Seems Very Friendly

      • 0:48

        He's No Good to Me Dead

        He's No Good to Me Dead

      • 1:05

        He's Only a Wookiee

        He's Only a Wookiee

      • 2:07

        I Am Your Father

        I Am Your Father

      • 1:25

        It's Not My Fault

        It's Not My Fault

      • 1:14

        Luke Meets Yoda

        Luke Meets Yoda

      • 0:44

        Never Tell Me the Odds

        Never Tell Me the Odds

      • 0:33

        No Disintegrations

        No Disintegrations

      • 0:23

        No I Will Not Be Quiet

        No I Will Not Be Quiet

      • 2:01

        Ol' Smoothie

        Ol' Smoothie

      • 0:11

        Put Captain Solo in the Cargo Hold

        Put Captain Solo in the Cargo Hold

      • 0:38

        R2-D2's Helping Hand

        R2-D2's Helping Hand

      • 1:11

        Refreshments

        Refreshments

      • 2:03

        Size Matters Not

        Size Matters Not

      • 1:11

        You're Trembling

        You're Trembling

      • 1:01

        You Are Not a Jedi Yet

        You Are Not a Jedi Yet

      • 0:31

        Leia Briefs Pilots on Hoth

        Leia Briefs Pilots on Hoth

      • 1:14

        Luke vs. The Wampa

        Luke vs. The Wampa

      • 0:22

        You May Start Your Landing

        You May Start Your Landing

      • 1:08

        We're In Trouble

        We're In Trouble

      • 1:00

        Mynocks

        Mynocks

      • 0:55

        Escape from Echo Base

        Escape from Echo Base

      • 1:44

        For My Ally Is The Force

        For My Ally Is The Force

Behind the Scenes

      • 3:47

        Time Capsule: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

        Time Capsule: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

      • 2:33

        Ben Burtt Interview: The Challenge of The Empire Strikes Back

        Ben Burtt Interview: The Challenge of The Empire Strikes Back

      • 1:53

        Empire Featurette: How Walkers Walk

        Empire Featurette: How Walkers Walk

      • 2:27

        Ben Burtt Interview: The Imperial Walkers

        Ben Burtt Interview: The Imperial Walkers

      • 2:39

        Ben Burtt Interview: Chewbacca's Voice

        Ben Burtt Interview: Chewbacca's Voice

      • 2:52

        Sound Advice: An Interview with Ben Burtt

        Sound Advice: An Interview with Ben Burtt

      • 64:55

        From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga

        From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga

      • 3:38

        Ben Burtt Interview: The Sound of Lightsabers

        Ben Burtt Interview: The Sound of Lightsabers

      • 1:59

        Ben Burtt Interview: The Sound of Explosions in Star Wars

        Ben Burtt Interview: The Sound of Explosions in Star Wars

      • 1:01

        Ben Burtt Interview: The Sound of Darth Vader

        Ben Burtt Interview: The Sound of Darth Vader

Industrial Light & Magic Presents: Empire at 40

A conversation with effects legends Dennis Muren, Joe Johnston, Phil Tippett, & Lorne Peterson. Live streaming today at 4:00PM PDT.

Ralph McQuarrie: Tribute to a Master

      • 7:32

        Ralph McQuarrie: Tribute to a Master (Part 1)

        Ralph McQuarrie: Tribute to a Master (Part 1)

      • 7:47

        Ralph McQuarrie: Tribute to a Master (Part 2)

        Ralph McQuarrie: Tribute to a Master (Part 2)

      • 8:31

        Ralph McQuarrie: Tribute to a Master (Part 3)

        Ralph McQuarrie: Tribute to a Master (Part 3)

      • 7:20

        Ralph McQuarrie: Tribute to a Master (Part 4)

        Ralph McQuarrie: Tribute to a Master (Part 4)

      • 12:50

        Ralph McQuarrie: Tribute to a Master (Part 5)

        Ralph McQuarrie: Tribute to a Master (Part 5)

© 2015 Disney

The Empire Strikes Back - Ralph McQuarrie Gallery

StarWars.com presents a selection of production artwork produced by the legendary Ralph McQuarrie for The Empire Strikes Back.

  • Images
Next Page »

Galleries

© 2015 Disney

The Empire Strikes Back - Story Gallery

The story of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

  • Images
Next Page »

© 2015 Disney

The Empire Strikes Back - Concept Art Gallery

A selection of concept art from the production of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

  • Images
Next Page »

© 2015 Disney

The Empire Strikes Back - BTS Gallery

Behind the scenes stills from the production of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

  • Images
Next Page »

© 2015 Disney

Star Wars: Frames - The Empire Strikes Back

After George Lucas finished work on Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, he wanted to look back on the Star Wars saga with an entirely new point of view: isolating stills, or frames, from each of the first six Star Wars films, focusing on them intensely as works of photography and design, and reproducing them in a book. For two years Lucas went through more than 150,000 frames per film, editing more than 1 million frames down to the 1,416 images that now comprise the Star Wars: Frames book, a testament to the hard work, craftsmanship, and dedication evident in every frame of the Original and Prequel Trilogy films. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, we proudly present the Star Wars: Frames images from that film here. Star Wars: Frames, by George Lucas (c) Abrams Books, 2013.

  • Images
Next Page »
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