'SPECIAL EDITION' CLASSIC IMAGE: RETURN OF THE WAMPA!

Celebrating today's Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back - Special Edition, here's a behind the scenes look at the biggest new scene/revision made to that film- an expanded version of Luke's capture and escape from his Wampa captor on Hoth. The scene would feature a new cave set build at ILM, with Harold 'Howie' Weed playing the creature (in a newly built suit/facial head based on early concepts art), and directed by George Lucas, who would excitedly make the film's original director, Irvin Kershner, aware of the upcoming cinematic changes.

The Wampa enjoys his first course. Storyboards by George Hull.

Planning the set, built at a reduced height to make the monster look bigger on screen.

Testing the in-progress new Wampa costume at ILM.

Howie Weed gets hungry as the old/new Wampa.

Don Bies and colleague Mark Siegel make a costume adjustment during filming at ILM.

Lucas confers with Bies and Howie Weed (who has oxygen being fed him his mouth).

Celebrating today's anniversary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_WdDXy4VS0