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It was the summer of 1977–the summer of Star Wars–and George Lucas was already at (cid:95)(cid:87)(cid:90)(cid:83)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:77)(cid:95)(cid:3)(cid:91)(cid:92)(cid:87)(cid:90)(cid:97)(cid:22)(cid:3)(cid:55)(cid:86)(cid:84)(cid:97)(cid:3)(cid:92)(cid:80)(cid:81)(cid:91)(cid:3)(cid:92)(cid:81)(cid:85)(cid:77)(cid:20)(cid:3)(cid:81)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:95)(cid:73)(cid:91)(cid:86)(cid:15)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:93)(cid:91)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:78)(cid:87)(cid:90)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:77)(cid:3)(cid:197)(cid:84)(cid:85)(cid:20)(cid:3)(cid:74)(cid:93)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:78)(cid:87)(cid:90)(cid:3)(cid:95)(cid:80)(cid:73)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:95)(cid:87)(cid:93)(cid:84)(cid:76)(cid:3)(cid:74)(cid:77)(cid:75)(cid:87)(cid:85)(cid:77)(cid:3) the next two episodes of the original Star Wars trilogy. The Empire Strikes Back came out in May 1980 and it became immediately apparent (cid:92)(cid:80)(cid:73)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:92)(cid:80)(cid:81)(cid:91)(cid:3)(cid:95)(cid:73)(cid:91)(cid:86)(cid:15)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:93)(cid:91)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:92)(cid:80)(cid:77)(cid:90)(cid:3)(cid:91)(cid:77)(cid:89)(cid:93)(cid:77)(cid:84)(cid:20)(cid:3)(cid:74)(cid:93)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:3)(cid:91)(cid:88)(cid:73)(cid:75)(cid:77)(cid:21)(cid:78)(cid:73)(cid:86)(cid:92)(cid:73)(cid:91)(cid:97)(cid:3)(cid:85)(cid:73)(cid:91)(cid:92)(cid:77)(cid:90)(cid:88)(cid:81)(cid:77)(cid:75)(cid:77)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:86)(cid:76)(cid:183)(cid:84)(cid:81)(cid:83)(cid:77)(cid:3)(cid:92)(cid:80)(cid:77)(cid:3)(cid:197)(cid:90)(cid:91)(cid:92)(cid:3) (cid:197)(cid:84)(cid:85)(cid:183)(cid:73)(cid:3)(cid:85)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:77)(cid:90)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:78)(cid:73)(cid:81)(cid:90)(cid:97)(cid:3)(cid:92)(cid:73)(cid:84)(cid:77)(cid:3)(cid:78)(cid:87)(cid:90)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:84)(cid:84)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:79)(cid:77)(cid:91)(cid:22)(cid:3)(cid:60)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:85)(cid:73)(cid:86)(cid:97)(cid:3)(cid:78)(cid:73)(cid:86)(cid:91)(cid:20)(cid:3)(cid:81)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:95)(cid:73)(cid:91)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:84)(cid:97)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:77)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:78)(cid:3)(cid:92)(cid:80)(cid:77)(cid:3)(cid:85)(cid:87)(cid:91)(cid:92)(cid:3) important chapters in the Skywalker saga–it was their favorite Star Wars movie. Through on-set interviews with the cast and crew, fun facts, production photos, (cid:73)(cid:86)(cid:76)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:90)(cid:81)(cid:79)(cid:81)(cid:86)(cid:73)(cid:84)(cid:3)(cid:75)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:75)(cid:77)(cid:88)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:90)(cid:92)(cid:20)(cid:3)(cid:92)(cid:80)(cid:81)(cid:91)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:1659)(cid:75)(cid:81)(cid:73)(cid:84)(cid:3)(cid:59)(cid:88)(cid:77)(cid:75)(cid:81)(cid:73)(cid:84)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:77)(cid:84)(cid:94)(cid:77)(cid:91)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:77)(cid:77)(cid:88)(cid:3)(cid:81)(cid:86)(cid:92)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:92)(cid:80)(cid:77)(cid:3)(cid:91)(cid:92)(cid:87)(cid:90)(cid:97)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:78)(cid:3)(cid:52)(cid:93)(cid:83)(cid:77)(cid:3) Skywalker and Darth Vader, Leia Organa and Han Solo, the droids, and Hoth, the (cid:81)(cid:75)(cid:77)(cid:3)(cid:88)(cid:84)(cid:73)(cid:86)(cid:77)(cid:92)(cid:22)(cid:3)(cid:58)(cid:77)(cid:84)(cid:81)(cid:94)(cid:77)(cid:3)(cid:92)(cid:80)(cid:77)(cid:3)(cid:75)(cid:80)(cid:73)(cid:84)(cid:84)(cid:77)(cid:86)(cid:79)(cid:77)(cid:91)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:78)(cid:3)(cid:197)(cid:84)(cid:85)(cid:81)(cid:86)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:81)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:54)(cid:87)(cid:90)(cid:95)(cid:73)(cid:97)(cid:20)(cid:3)(cid:92)(cid:80)(cid:77)(cid:3)(cid:75)(cid:90)(cid:77)(cid:73)(cid:92)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:78)(cid:3)(cid:92)(cid:80)(cid:77)(cid:3)(cid:91)(cid:95)(cid:73)(cid:85)(cid:88)(cid:3)(cid:88)(cid:84)(cid:73)(cid:86)(cid:77)(cid:92)(cid:3) Dagobah, and discover the secrets behind the development of iconic characters Lando Calrissian, Boba Fett, and Jedi Master Yoda… TITAN EDITORIAL DISTRIBUTION Printed in the U.S. LUCASFILM EDITORIAL Editor Jonathan Wilkins U.S. Newsstand: Total Publisher Services, Inc. Senior Editor Brett Rector Managing Editor Martin Eden John Dziewiatkowski, 630-851-7683 For sale in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Eire Art Director Troy Alders Art Director Oz Browne U.S. Distribution: Ingrams Periodicals, Creative Director Michael Siglain Senior Designer Andrew Leung Curtis Circulation Company ISBN: 9781787734234 Story Group Leland Chee, Pablo Hidalgo, Matt Martin Assistant Editor Phoebe Hedges U.K. Newsstand: Marketforce, 0203 787 9199 Titan Authorized User. 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Eugene Paraszczuk Marketing and Advertisement Assistant Lauren Noding A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the Publicist Imogen Harris First edition: June 2021 British Library. Acquisitions Editor Duncan Baizley Publishing Director Ricky Claydon Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Publishing Director John Dziewiatkowski Special Edition is published by Titan Magazines, a division Operations Director Leigh Baulch of Titan Publishing Group Limited, 144 Southwark Street, Publishers Nick Landau & Vivian Cheung London SE1 0UP DISNEY PUBLISHING WORLDWIDE Julie Dorris (Senior Editor) Design Enrico Soave (Senior Designer) Art Ken Shue (VP, Global Art), GLOBAL MAGAZINES, COMICS AND PARTWORKS Roberto Santillo (Creative Director), Marco Ghiglione (Creative Manager), Manny Mederos (Creative Manager), Stefano Attardi (Computer Art Designer) Portfolio Management Olivia Ciancarelli (Director) Publisher Lynn Waggoner Editorial Director Bianca Coletti Editorial Team Guido Frazzini (Director, Comics), Business & Marketing Mariantonietta Galla (Senior Manager, Franchise), Virpi Korhonen (Editorial Manager) Stefano Ambrosio (Executive Editor, New IP), Carlotta Quattrocolo (Executive Editor, Franchise), Text Alessandro Ferrari, Marco Rizzo, Steve Behling, Silvia Dell’Amore Camilla Vedove (Senior Manager, Editorial Development), Behnoosh Khalili (Senior Editor), Graphic Design co-d S.r.l. – Milano Pre-Press co-d S.r.l. – Milano, Lito milano srl THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK SPECIAL CONTENTS CONTENTS 04 Introduction: The Myth Grows 06 The Story So Far: A New Hope Recap 10 The Story: The Empire Strikes Back 16 A New Story: The Saga Begins 26 The Planets: Hoth 48 The Planets: Life on Hoth 70 The Master: Yoda 76 The Planets: Dagobah 84 The Villain: The Emperor 94 The Bounty Hunter: Boba Fett 104 The Gambler: Lando Calrissian 110 The Planets: Cloud City 124 The Scenes: “I Know” 130 The Scenes: “I Am Your Father” 140 The Launch: Back in the Theaters STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK | 3 STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK SPECIAL THE MYTH GROWS... THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK THE MYTH GROWS... n May 1977, his mythic story of good versus the sequel would turn out to I George Lucas’ evil. The very first Star Wars be. Expectations were high, gamble paid would go down in history as the script was ambitious, off. Star Star Wars: A New Hope, and the budget grew by leaps Wars: A film in the wake of that success, and bounds, day after day as different work was about to begin on a production went on. As far as from all others had just been sequel, Star Wars: Episode V Lucas was concerned, he had released, yet it was also a film The Empire Strikes Back. There every intention of maintaining influenced by genres and remained lots of questions to control over his creations, to themes that audiences were answer. What would be the the point of financing what familiar and comfortable with, fate of Luke Skywalker? Would would be another colossal and it had proved to be a huge he become a Jedi Knight like blockbuster himself. This is success. To droves of filmgoers his father? Would Han Solo the story of Luke, Han, Leia… throughout the world it offered ever really abandon the Rebel and new friends like Yoda, new a distinctive new take on sci-fi, Alliance? Would Princess Leia enemies like Boba Fett, and a blend of western and fantasy, and the Rebel Alliance go on to ambiguous co-protagonists featuring memorable characters defeat the Empire? like Lando Calrissian. This is and breathtaking special effects. With the first Star Wars film the story of The Empire Strikes Now Lucas was not only hoping fans had only gotten a brief Back, perhaps the most beloved to repeat his earlier success, but glimpse of a complex galaxy, film in the saga, by fans and to improve upon it and expand as complex as the making of critics alike. The 1979 theatrical advance one-sheet, or teaser poster (left), for The Empire Strikes Back, designed by Tony Seiniger and David Reneric, who also developed the approved crew-gear logo (right). 4 | STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK SPECIAL THE MYTH GROWS... The Empire Strikes Back By Numbers 8 Number of R2-D2 droids used in the film 64 Number of sets built for the film 65 feet Diameter of the full-sized Millennium Falcon set 124 minutes Running time 126 Theaters on opening 180 days Duration of principal photography $4,910,483 Opening weekend box office gross $547,879,454 Worldwide Box Office Gross A Partial List of Costs $3,467 Rental of an elephant to model locomotion for the walkers: Small Millennium Falcon model: $10,000 Boba Fett’s Slave I model: $15,000 Darth Vader’s Executor ship model: $42,000 $55,000 Star Destroyer 10-foot model: $60,000 Lawrence Kasdan’s fee for rewriting and polishing the script: $80,000 to $100,000 AT-ST walker model: $100,000 Harrison Ford’s fee: $250,000 Soundtrack, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra: $3,500,000 Set construction: $18,000,000 Initial budget: $30,478,433 Final cost: STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK | 5 STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK SPECIAL A NEW HOPE A NEW HOPE RECAP A NEW HOPE RECAP Blending elements from the fantastic imaginary he had grown up with, a promising young director, George Lucas, came up with the idea for a long, (cid:75)(cid:87)(cid:85)(cid:88)(cid:84)(cid:77)(cid:96)(cid:3)(cid:91)(cid:73)(cid:79)(cid:73)(cid:3)(cid:91)(cid:87)(cid:85)(cid:77)(cid:95)(cid:80)(cid:77)(cid:90)(cid:77)(cid:3)(cid:74)(cid:77)(cid:92)(cid:95)(cid:77)(cid:77)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:78)(cid:73)(cid:86)(cid:92)(cid:73)(cid:91)(cid:97)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:86)(cid:76)(cid:3)(cid:91)(cid:75)(cid:81)(cid:77)(cid:86)(cid:75)(cid:77)(cid:21)(cid:197)(cid:75)(cid:92)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:22)(cid:3)(cid:58)(cid:77)(cid:84)(cid:77)(cid:73)(cid:91)(cid:77)(cid:76)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:91)(cid:3) (cid:73)(cid:3)(cid:91)(cid:77)(cid:84)(cid:78)(cid:21)(cid:75)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:92)(cid:73)(cid:81)(cid:86)(cid:77)(cid:76)(cid:3)(cid:197)(cid:84)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:95)(cid:81)(cid:92)(cid:80)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:77)(cid:94)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:73)(cid:92)(cid:81)(cid:94)(cid:77)(cid:3)(cid:92)(cid:81)(cid:92)(cid:84)(cid:77)(cid:20)(cid:3)Star Wars would soon become a (cid:88)(cid:87)(cid:88)(cid:21)(cid:75)(cid:93)(cid:84)(cid:92)(cid:93)(cid:90)(cid:77)(cid:3)(cid:88)(cid:80)(cid:77)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:85)(cid:77)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:86)(cid:76)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:3)(cid:80)(cid:93)(cid:79)(cid:77)(cid:3)(cid:74)(cid:87)(cid:96)(cid:21)(cid:87)(cid:1659)(cid:75)(cid:77)(cid:3)(cid:80)(cid:81)(cid:92)(cid:20)(cid:3)(cid:95)(cid:80)(cid:81)(cid:75)(cid:80)(cid:3)(cid:88)(cid:73)(cid:94)(cid:77)(cid:76)(cid:3)(cid:92)(cid:80)(cid:77)(cid:3)(cid:95)(cid:73)(cid:97)(cid:3)(cid:78)(cid:87)(cid:90)(cid:3) George Lucas to follow suit and let the legend unfold. The story Lucas had come up with, rife with knights, princesses, pirates and an evil despot, slaked worldwide audiences’ thirst for adventure. But evidently they still wanted more. he galaxy powerful emissary of the Galactic lives with his aunt and uncle. T quakes with Empire, and overrun by an army While cleaning R2-D2, Luke fear when of stormtroopers. Vader takes accidentally sets off Princess the Galactic the princess hostage, but not Leia’s message and hears her say Empire builds before Leia manages to place a the name, “Obi-Wan Kenobi”. an enormous, message—and the Death Star While Luke had never heard seemingly unstoppable weapon, plans—inside an astromech that exact name, he figured it the Death Star. The Rebel Alliance droid, R2-D2. He and his sidekick must be a relative of the old manages to get its hands on the C-3PO hightail it in an escape hermit, Ben Kenobi, who lived Death Star plans, which are in the pod and wind up on the desert out beyond the Dune Sea. That safekeeping of Princess Leia of the planet Tatooine. night, R2-D2 sets out on his planet Alderaan. But her starship The two droids are captured own to find “Old” Ben, and it is captured by an Imperial Star by Jawa traders and sold to isn’t until morning that Luke Destroyer under the command Luke Skywalker, a young and and C-3PO are able to catch up of Darth Vader, fearsome and ambitious moisture farmer who to him. The three are attacked 01 6 | STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK SPECIAL A NEW HOPE 02 01 R2-D2 reveals Princess Leia's all-important message. 02 Han Solo and his co-pilot Chewbacca take control of the Millennium Falcon. 03 Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo prepare to face the enemy. 03 STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK | 7 SPECIAL 04 by Tusken Raiders, and then Alderaan. Ben asks Luke to come 05 saved by Ben, who mimics the with him, but Luke declines, wail of a krayt dragon. Inside though he offers to take Kenobi his cottage, Ben reveals that to the nearest port. On the way, he is Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi they discover the smoldering Knight who served the Galactic frame of a sandcrawler, owned Republic before the rise of by the same Jawas who sold his the Empire. He also reveals to uncle R2-D2 and C-3PO. Kenobi Luke that his father was a Jedi knows who is responsible— Knight as well, and gives Luke Imperial stormtroopers. Despite the lightsaber that had once Ben’s pleas, Luke heads home, belonged to him. Luke asks only to discover both his aunt how his father died, and Obi- and uncle have been murdered Wan tells him about a former by stormtroopers looking for pupil, Darth Vader, who had the droids. been lured to the dark side Left with no choice, Luke of the Force—Darth Vader killed teams up with Obi-Wan, R2-D2 Luke’s father. In the process, and C-3PO, and the group head Luke learns about a mystical to Mos Eisley, specifically the energy field known as the Force cantina, hoping to find a pilot that gives the Jedi Knights their who can fly them to Alderaan. power. There, they meet smuggler Han In the presence of Obi-Wan, Solo and his Wookiee copilot, R2-D2 delivers the message sent Chewbacca. Han agrees to take to him by Princess Leia, who our friends to Alderaan on his begs him to deliver the droid Millennium Falcon—for a hefty (which contains information sum. The fee will offset the vital to the survival of the Rebel debt Han owes to mobster Alliance) safely to her father on Jabba the Hutt. But before 8 | STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK