50 Fun Facts About The Empire Strikes Back

Who directed The Empire Strikes Back?

Lucas considered around 100 directors, including Alan Parker and John Badham, before hiring his old acquaintance in February 1978.

How many years after the original Star Wars is the film set?

It opens with Imperial probe droids hunting for the new Rebel base.

On which ice planet is the Rebel base at the start of the film?

An Imperial probe droid finds it and the Empire attacks with AT-AT walkers.

What creature captures Luke in the opening scenes?

He escapes by using the Force to pull his lightsaber to his hand for the first time.

How does Han keep Luke alive overnight in the snow?

Han's line about the smell became one of the film's most quoted.

Which Jedi Master trains Luke on Dagobah?

Frank Oz puppeteered and voiced him; Lucas had intended another actor to voice him but found matching the puppetry too hard.

What does Yoda lift out of the swamp to show Luke the power of the Force?

Luke had just failed at the same task and complained that it was too big.

What is wrong with the Millennium Falcon as it flees Hoth?

They hide in an asteroid field, where Han and Leia grow closer.

Which bounty hunter is described as a humanoid lizard?

Alan Harris wore the suit; Morris Bush played Dengar.

Who administers Cloud City on the gas planet Bespin?

Billy Dee Williams became the first Black actor with a starring role in the series.

What is Han frozen in on Cloud City?

Vader wanted to test whether the process would safely imprison Luke.

What is Han's famous reply when Leia says 'I love you'?

Harrison Ford suggested it himself, and it is now among cinema's most famous improvised lines.

What fake line was David Prowse given to say on set to stop the twist leaking?

Only Kershner, the producers and Mark Hamill knew the real line before James Earl Jones recorded it.

Which two screenwriters are credited on the film?

Brackett died of cancer after her first draft; Kasdan was hired after impressing Lucas with Raiders of the Lost Ark.

How much was Lawrence Kasdan paid to refine the script?

Brackett had received $50,000 for hers.

In which Norwegian village were the Hoth scenes filmed?

Scouts had also considered Finland, Sweden and the Arctic Circle.

At which English studio were the interiors shot?

Lucas funded a new 'Star Wars stage' there for the Dagobah and Rebel base sets.

Which Stanley Kubrick film's set fire at the studio destroyed space planned for Empire?

The blaze on Stage 3 came just as filming was about to start in January 1979.

What was the film's final cost, up from an initial $8M budget?

Lucas financed it himself with Star Wars profits and bank loans, and nearly ran out of money in July 1979.

How did George Lucas primarily finance the film?

Fox distributed but had no creative input; Bank of Boston eventually refinanced the loan to $31 million.

Which producer was removed during production as the film fell 50 days behind schedule?

Kazanjian and Watts took over; Kurtz did not return for Return of the Jedi.

Which two Academy Awards did the film win?

John Williams also won a BAFTA and two Grammys for the score.

Roughly how much did the film gross worldwide in its original 1980 release?

That made it the highest-grossing film of the year; re-releases have pushed it past $549 million.

Which actor's small percentage of the box office gross was payment for a few hours' work as Obi-Wan?

He got 0.25% of the gross; his failing eyesight had made him reluctant to work under bright lights.

Who voiced the Emperor in the original 1980 release?

He was physically portrayed by Elaine Baker; McDiarmid replaced the scene in the 2004 DVD.

How much did James Earl Jones earn for half a day's work voicing Vader?

He again declined an on-screen credit, considering himself 'special effects'.

Which makeup artist was chiefly responsible for building the Yoda puppet?

Early drafts called the character Minch, Buffy or simply 'the Critter'.

What was Yoda's name in early script drafts?

He evolved from a slimy creature to a small blue one before the final green puppet.

In Leigh Brackett's first draft, who was Luke's sister?

Lucas only made Leia the sister later; Hamill said he found that idea disappointing at first.

What was novelist Alan Dean Foster hired to write in case Star Wars flopped?

Its success meant Lucas could aim far bigger for the real sequel.

Which Rebel pilot, played by Denis Lawson, appears on Hoth?

Lawson's nephew Ewan McGregor later played Obi-Wan.

Which Imperial admiral, played by Michael Sheard, is choked by Vader for exiting hyperspace too close to Hoth?

Kenneth Colley's Piett gets the promotion on the spot.

To whom is the frozen Han to be delivered for a bounty?

Han's debt to Jabba was one of the elements Lucas added to Brackett's draft.

Why does Luke leave Dagobah before finishing his training?

In Brackett's draft Obi-Wan told him to go; Lucas made it Luke's own choice.

How much was Leigh Brackett paid for her draft?

Lucas hired her knowing she had cancer; she died before revisions could begin.

In which year did the Library of Congress add the film to the National Film Registry?

It is now widely regarded as the best film in the series.

How much did the 1997 Special Edition re-release gross?

Earlier re-releases in 1981 and 1982 took $26.8 million and $14.5 million.

What is Jeremy Bulloch's second role in the film besides the armoured bounty hunter?

He was hired as Fett simply because the costume fit.

Where was the film released on May 21, 1980, and by which studio?

Fox had first-refusal rights on any sequel and distributed without creative input.

Whom does Luke reach out to through the Force while hanging beneath Cloud City?

Lucas changed it from Obi-Wan's ghost, so the rescue comes from Leia turning the Falcon around.

How was the armoured bounty hunter's voice credited in the original release?

Wingreen was finally credited in 2000.

How many Grammy Awards did John Williams win for the score?

Best Instrumental Composition and Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media.

How long was George Lucas's handwritten second draft of the script, completed on April 1?

He found Leigh Brackett's draft had portrayed the characters differently than he intended.

Billy Dee Williams said what two things about Lando gave him room to develop the character?

Williams was the first Black actor with a starring role in the series.

Why was Jeremy Bulloch hired to play Boba Fett without an audition?

The top-heavy costume made balancing hard and the mask often steamed up.

Who voiced Boba Fett in the original release, remaining uncredited until 2000?

For the 2004 re-release his lines were dubbed over by Temuera Morrison, who played Jango Fett.

Which stunt double portrayed Darth Vader in Luke's climactic lightsaber duel?

He compared fighting in the costume to fencing blindfolded; Hamill grew so frustrated he refused to continue rehearsing.

How much did the Writers and Directors Guilds fine Lucas for putting all crew credits at the end of the film?

They had allowed it on Star Wars because Lucas directed; this time they even tried to have the film pulled from theatres.

In the 2004 re-release, which actor replaced the Clive Revill and Elaine Baker Emperor?

He had played the role since Return of the Jedi in 1983.

Which rock star ended a 1980 concert riding on the shoulders of someone dressed as Darth Vader?

Kershner also received letters from psychologists who used Yoda to explain philosophical ideas to patients.