AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: 'CLOSER?!' - PART TWO

 

A specially created ILM composite image used in merchandise/media publicity for Empire.

Now at ground level on the largest asteroid, the Millennium Falcon skims its surface, with the remaining two TIE fighter pursuers firing away. Too bad Imperial pilot training isn't what it was, though, as Solo's mad, bad and dangerous skills soon sees them collide into one another within a tight ravine.

An image of a TIE fighter used for the composite art.

ILM storyboard of the fighters about to be destroyed!

The Falcon escapes the carnage!

Seeing sanctuary in a large embedded cave, the Falcon soon flies into it in order to seek cover and begin urgent repairs...

Scene images: Star Wars Screencaps.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: 'CLOSER?!'

Han's reckless piloting of the Falcon has already shaken up Princess Leia and Threepio, and now worse to come as he decides to take the smuggling vessel towards the largest asteroid in the field in order to shake-off the remaining two TIE fighters, in this great storyboard art.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: ASTEROID DAMAGE!

 

Ken Ralston at work with the damaged fin TIE fighter model at ILM.

More on the TIEs as they perilously pursue the Falcon through the asteroid field beyond Hoth. One battle damaged fighter spins helplessly out of control smashing into an asteroid but not before its pilot ejects (a blink and you miss it moment cleverly added in post production). Here's a great selection of related model filming shots to enjoy.

The spinning TIE as seen in the film's release trailer.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: ROCK COLLECTION!

 

Steve Gawley at ILM with a variety of Asteroids. 

We'd seen asteroids and asteroid fields in science fiction film and TV before, but never realised like this-natural and out of control, dangerous and of varying sizes spread throughout a field at the edge of the Hoth system and soon rushing against the Millennium Falcon and pursuant TIE fighters. ILM's model team for Empire would create a diverse arrange of rock bodies for filming, including some humorous shapes to look out for, some of which are presented here.

Ken Ralston prepares lighting readings for filming.

Dennis Muren and Steve Gawley have fun.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: BEWARE: ASTEROIDS!

The TIE fighter pilots chasing the Millennium Falcon out of the Hoth system are clearly skilled, but even their abilities will be tested to the limit by Han Solo as two (of four) of the Imperial craft follow the renegade freighter into a perilous asteroid field, in this great storyboard, presumably by Joe Johnston, for The Empire Strikes Back.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: INTO THE ASTEROID FIELD!

It's one of Han Solo's craziest stunts ever, as, against all worries from his friends (and odds advice from C-3PO), he sends the Millennium Falcon into the nearby Hoth system asteroid field in order to escape Imperial pursuit one more time, as seen in this great storyboard by Joe Johnston.

The chase as captured in an early movie trailer.

 

And below, a lovely piece of thumbnail art by Ralph McQuarrie.

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE SILENT DETONATION!

In their swift and maneuvarable Starfighter, Obi-Wan Kenobi and trusty droid R4 narrowly avoid the immense destruction caused by a sonic blast, in this memorable Geonosis asteroid chase scene from EPISODE II.

'SPECIAL EDITION' CLASSIC IMAGE: SOME FANCY FLYING!

When chased by the Imperial Navy, the unexpected is always best, as Han Solo uses his deft piloting skills to manuevere the Millennium Falcon through a lethal asteroid field in order to escape pesky TIE fighters. A scene not from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, but one of Van Ling's excellent CGI graphics menus for the STAR WARS SPECIAL EDITIONs eventual debut on DVD in 2004.

CLASSIC IMAGE: BAD FEELING NUMBER TWO!

Inside the unusual environs of their Asteroid "Cave" hideout, Han and Leia, surveying the Falcon, soon detect that something isn't right, in this classic moment from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

CLASSIC IMAGE: SLAVE TO SPEED!

Boba Fett's distinctively nasty looking Slave One vessel powers through an asteroid field in lethal pursuit of his new target, in this interesting post EMPIRE composite image.

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: "ASTEROIDS!"

One of my favourite ILM effects composite images for the 1980 promotion of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, as a squad of TIE fighters gamely pursues their prey- the Millennium Falcon- through a densely packed asteroid field. These TIE pilots might be experienced and amongst the best in the Empire, but they haven't reckoned on the skills of the smuggling vessel's captain... a certain ex-Imperial pilot himself: Han Solo!

Discoveries From the Inside - Millennium Falcon and Asteroids - YouTube