CLASSIC McQUARRIE: SENTINELS OF HOTH!

With their heavy weaponry and regular Tauntaun patrols, the Rebels maintain constant vigilance across the blue-tinted Hoth landscape, ready for action, in this lovely Thailand poster art from 1980 promoting The Empire Strikes Back, using the great Production Painting work of Ralph McQuarrie that helped make the film such a uniquely different entity to the original Star Wars.

It was an image that was also adapted and used in the Al Williamson and Carlos Garzon Marvel Comics adaptation of the iconic saga entry.  

'THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU': ON THE TAUNTAUN EXPRESS!

The latest ultra-cute younger audience friendly promotional spot for the upcoming film (coming May 22nd, 2026), as seen amongst the plethora of all-new film/TV trailers aired during this year's Superbowl experience.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 45: FILMING THE 'BATTLE IN THE SNOW'...

"And.... action!"

With the primary film unit now returned to the UK's Elstree Studios by April, 1979, Peter MacDonald, Bill Westley, Stunt Coordinator Bob Anderson and other talents, would continue location work for The Empire Strikes Back with their unique second unit, effectively handling the barely English speaking Red Cross Norwegian volunteers playing Rebel soldiers, detonating the many necessary pyrotechnics, and choreographing lots of action taking place in the specially built snow trenches, a site fortified with many distinctive-looking props, weapons, and even a rebel tank, at one of the most challenging locations for filming within the Original Trilogy: the Hardangerjokulen glacier.

Fire and Ice!

Sadly, despite their best efforts, bad weather and ever-changing, inconsistent natural lighting conditions would hamper the filming, which was never completed. Thankfully, there was enough footage shot for George Lucas to use multiple angles and even reversed footage, to be mixed with the upcoming ILM stop-motion animation footage being captured that Winter, for a spectacular and unforgettable sequence that looked superb on the big screen...  

Digging the Rebel trenches at the glacier site prior to filming.

Assembling the props for filming.

Great wide shot of the location filming: note the Rebel Tank on site.

A fun Birthday art piece for Continuity/Script Supervisor Pamela Mann on location. 

A sunny day for filming.

But not so good on other days, as the Red Cross extras gather.

The Rebel weapons assembled on location. Image: Pamela Mann.

The action filming begins. Image: Pamela Mann.

Filming Bob Anderson as the Rebel Commander soon contacting Echo Base about the approaching AT-AT's.

Ready for trench warfare!

Destroyed props during filming.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 45: GOING SOLO IN NORWAY!

He hadn't yet landed the role of the devil may care Indiana Jones, but Harrison Ford was certainly doing some globe-trotting of his own with The Empire Strikes Back, swiftly dispatched from Elstree to Norway to shoot scenes in real snowy climes, amidst avalanches and dangerous white-outs. Certainly adventures in filming that Ford would never, ever forget.

Filming Han's discovery of the injured Luke, literally shot outside the snowbound hotel at Finse during March, 1979. 

Han checks on Luke's delirious condition.

Han prepares to fire at the Imperial Probe Droid.

Posing for press publicity with Carrie Fisher.

"I hadn't anticipated being there (in Norway) at all. My snow scenes were supposed to be shot at the sound stage at the studio. I had just arrived in England as they left for Norway, and in no time at all, I found myself whisked away to join them in Norway, with no preparation, wearing a costume built for conditions on the stage. Another one of those bizarre life experiences."

Harrison Ford - Bantha Tracks interview - 1980

'AN EMPIRE' AT 45: FROM FINSE WITH LOVE!

UK art technician Alan Tomkins with the Tauntaun prop outside the Finse 1222 hotel in Norway. Image: Pamela Mann.

Filming of the desert realms of Tatooine, in Tunisia, for the original Star Wars back during March/April 1976, had brought its own unique problems that had to be overcome by the film crew, but those were nothing in comparison to the location work at Norway for the opening act of The Empire Strikes Back set on the ice planet of Hoth. Heavy ice, snowstorms, avalanches and 'white-outs' were constant, in the worst weather that the chosen location, Finse, had seen for decades. In such conditions it was a marvel that the main first unit, headed by Irvin Kershner, a frost-bitten Gary Kurtz, stalwart David Tomblin, and others, were able to accomplish so much. And thankfully, some material could even be shot literally outside the hotel! 

But the worsening weather would go on to heavily affect the second unit's eventual filming of the ground snow battle scenes against the AT-AT's going into April, 1979...

Gary Kurtz and Irvin Kershner brave the elements.

Mark Hamill gets sun sun and rest atop one of the special Empire snow vehicles.

Peter Mayhew and crew enjoy a warming meal on at one the location camp bases.

Filming Chewbacca's one and only scene on location.

Continuity Polaroid of Mayhew with Pamela Mann.

"That was fairly horrendous. It was cold and the wind was blowing. It was just a bit unpleasant, but the filming of that scene was only half a day."

Peter Mayhew - Star Wars Insider - Issue 28

Quickly abandoning filming as a dreaded 'white-out' arrives at the site.

Inside one of the two location camp huts, Irvin Kershner rehearses a scene with Mark Hamill atop the primary Tauntaun prop, watched and recorded by Michel Parbot and his documentary team.

Posing atop the full scale prop for publicity images.

Filming reaction shots with the head prop, also built by Stuart Freeborn and his team in London.

Some of the crew assemble at a base camp with the prop Tauntaun. Image: Pamela Mann.

Crewman Des Webb wears the heavy stilts whilst playing the Wampa snow monster.

The snow vehicles continue on throughout the location filming.

Lifted by helicopter (likely piloted by film-making veteran Marc Wolfe), Colin Skeaping doubles as Luke for his descent from the damaged Walker.

UK Script Supervisor and Continuity talent Pamela Mann enjoys the location.

Pamela even enjoys her own igloo as part of the location camraderie.

Harrison Ford, Kershner and crew prepare for the next Tauntaun sequence.

Moving the damaged Snowspeeder prop into location positioning.

Filming Luke's swift escape from the wrecked Snowspeeder.

Filming the Probot prop at varying sites on location.

The half Probot prop and tracks outside the Finse 1222 hotel.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 45: THE RETURN OF LUKE SKYWALKER!

Two years on from being that once farm boy who dreamt of adventure and excitement amongst the stars, Luke Skywalker has finally become a person of significance and heroism for the Rebel Alliance, of which his skills as a pilot, seeing-in the destruction of the Death Star space station, has naturally made him a fine leader as well as respected commander of his own unique Rogue Squadron of fighters. Now, with his Jedi powers slowly building, and relocated with his comrades to the Hoth system, Luke's courage and initiative have proved inspiring, along with great tenacity, in helping to set-up the secret base away from the grip of the evil Empire...

Great 1980 merchandising art for The Empire Strikes Back, by Gerry Daly.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 45: THE GALACTIC EMU'S!

Looking like alien version of an Emu crossed with a camels, Joe Johnston's classic conception of the Tauntaun snow beast certainly made an impression back in 1977, a fascinating year that featured an incredible array of intriguing all-new potential designs from both Johnston and Ralph McQuarrie for a myriad of new characters, aliens, hardware and environs for what was at first known as Star Wars II, before becoming The Empire Strikes Back.

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: THE LONG PATROL!

Navigating the harsh snow wilderness of the ice planet of Hoth, Luke Skywalker resolutely lays sensors probes and patrols the area around the secret Rebel base established there, astride his distinctive beast of burden female Tauntaun, in a scene uniquely captured in stop motion puppet form by Phil Tippett in 1979 for The Empire Strikes Back. This image, specially taken of the model duo, would primarily be used in later publicity of the film internationally, especially for Japan.

ILM BEHIND THE SCENES: PAINTING THE COLD CLIMES OF HOTH!

An ILM technician feels the cold in this humorous image.

Bringing to life at ILM the many establishing scenes set during the opening stages of battle and drama on the ice planet of Hoth would take all kinds of skillsets and techniques from a variety of in-house talents, most notably by the superb use of background paintings and matte work achieved by the likes of veteran artist Ralph McQuarrie and newcomers like Michael Pangrazio, whose impressive work was notably showcased in enhancing the model filming/ stop motion work then underway for The Empire Strikes Back.

Here's a showcase look at the behind the scenes work involved...

Harrison Ellenshaw pulls out a matte painting used at the start of the snow battle.

As seen in the film from the Walker cockpit. Image: Star Wars Screen Caps.

Another backdrop piece for the snow battle.

Dennis Muren, Phil Tippett with the Tauntaun snowscape, with Mike Pangrazio's painted backdrop.

Two shots of Michael Pangrazio at work.

Backdrop used for the Snowspeeder search for the missing Luke and Han on Hoth.

Ralph McQuarrie at work on a Rebel base ice cave exterior.

Work continues on the painting.

It looks like a revised or alternate/similar matte painting design was used in the final film for the Rebel base entrance, placed over establishing footage at the Norway-filmed glacier trench. Image: Star Wars Screen Caps.

And on an overall Hoth location backdrop.