AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: A CITY IN THE CLOUDS!

Han Solo enjoys the Cloud City scenery, as detailed in an early script draft.

The stunning beauty of Cloud City, and its outdoor air traffic, is once more effectively showcased in this great art by Ralph McQuarrie. Though his concept final for the Bespin apartment occupied by Princess Leia and Han Solo wasn't used in the original 1979 movie (for reasons unknown), UK Production Designer Norman Reynold's circular set design interior would nonetheless adhere to its interior (including its roof ceiling). By the time of the1999 Special Editions onwards, George Lucas would have the McQuarrie exterior reinstated within his plans to open up the Bespin/Cloud City location more with the new CGI technology available to ILM.

The original matte painting for the Bespin apartment exterior.
 

Revised for the Special Edition onwards,

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: TOUCHDOWN AT BESPIN!

Newly arrived at Bespin's Cloud City, will its Art Deco-esque colony prove the safe haven much-needed for our heroes disembarking the Millennium Falcon? Lovely detailed conceptual art sketch by Ralph McQuarrie.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: THE BESPIN OPERATION!

A 'city in the clouds' like no other, this terrific ILM conceptual art from Ralph McQuarrie shows us the full length of the Bespin facility and further details linked to its Tibanna Gas mining operations

Cloud Cars and Air Whales fly the skies around the city.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: A CITY IN THE CLOUDS!

The amazing sight that is Cloud City, as brought to stunning life in production painting form by Ralph McQuarrie for The Empire Strikes Back. Having seen this art numerous times in the 1980 publicity and merchandise build-up to the film's release, witnessing the ultimate form of Cloud City on screen at the cinema for the first time proved a mildly disappointing experience for this writer, as it didn't exactly resemble the production painting I was so used to, visually more like a squashed toy spinning top!

Interesting effects addition storyboard of the Falcon approaching Cloud City. Note Leia (with her Star Wars buns hairstyle) in the co-pilot chair instead of Chewie,

Approaching Cloud City!

Ralph McQuarrie with the accomplished matte painting of the city.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: CLOUD CITY'S SKY RIDERS!

 

The distinctive Twin Pod Cloud Cars of Bespin's Cloud City may have only appeared in a few brief scenes in Empire, but they have remained a memorable vehicle in the Original Trilogy.

Here's a selection of behind the scenes related images.

Early conceptual art for the vehicle.

Image: The Damien Steel Collection.

Artist Nilo Rodis-Jamero with the craft at ILM.

Nilo Rodis-Jamero concept art for a Cloud Car pilot.

Close-ups of the detailed pilot figures inside the singular model.

Don Dow does a lighting test prior to model filming.

Selwyn Eddy inspects the model on the blue screen filming stage.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: ARRIVAL AT BESPIN!

It's been a long and slow journey but the Millennium Falcon has finally made it to Bespin, though its weary crew are soon once more in trouble, this time from Twin Pod Cloud Cars on patrol of the skies near Cloud City. The slight misunderstanding of their presence is soon worked out, however, and clearance is given for the smuggling vessel to land.

Sound Design veteran Ben Burtt was the voice of the Cloud Car pilot sparring with Han Solo, whilst the gorgeous Bespin cloud shots at varying stages of light and dark were captured by UK effects veteran Brian Johnston, a keen photographer who'd take the plate shots from a hired plane.

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: SKY RIDER!

The incredible attention to detail of ILM's model department is clear to see with The Empire Strikes Back in 1979/80, bigger and more ambitious than the original film, as seen here with the Twin Pod Cloud Car pilot, whose head movements were remote controlled during blue screen filming.

OUT NOW FROM ABRAMS: 'STAR WARS ART: RALPH McQUARRIE (100 POSTCARDS)'

As we continue celebrating the original STAR WARS' Fortieth Anniversary in 2017, how fitting to also celebrate the work of that master visualist who vitally assisted George Lucas in bringing his saga to conceptual reality: Ralph McQuarrie, whose presence in shaping the unique artistic legacy continues to influence, within today's very modern sequel films, and beyond. ABRAMS books have just released a superb and highly attractive post card collection of his iconic work for the original three movies, within a truly gorgeous package that's well worth getting in time for Christmas.

From the desert enigma of Tatooine, to the sky enchantment of Bespin, and the machine versus nature realms of the Endor forest moon, the magic, detail and wonder of McQuarrie's work is once more to be savoured.

Collection details here: 

Ralph McQuarrie is the most iconic artist in the history of Star Wars. He worked hand-in-hand with George Lucas to help establish the saga's visual aesthetic, its inimitable look and feel. Carefully selected from the definitive volume, Star Wars Art: Ralph McQuarrie, these postcards are a celebration of Star Wars as a masterpiece of design and world-building. The deluxe keepsake package also functions as a display frame: the box features a die-cut window, so fans can rotate their favorite production design paintings into view.

Get it here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Star-Wars-Art-Mcquarrie-Postcards/dp/1419728091/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1507040913&sr=1-1&keywords=star+wars+art+ralph+mcquarrie+%28100+postcards

BEHIND THE SCENES: CLOUD CITY APPROACH

Escorted by Twin Pod patrol ships. the Millennium Falcon makes a smooth and fast journey to the beautiful city in the clouds of Bespin, for an encounter with an old friend of Han Solo's, in this great storyboard from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

For more great behind the scenes material, why not check out our special behind the scenes feature here: THE "EMPIRE" AT 30!!

SPECIAL EDITION CLASSIC IMAGE: BESPIN PANORAMA

A lovely CGI/model/matte shot showing a bit more of the Bespin Cloud City in daytime, with a few twin-pod cloud cars, too, added to the STAR WARS SPECIAL EDITION version of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK in 1997.

CLASSIC IMAGE: BESPIN'S FLYING CUSTODIANS.

Inside the Millennium Falcon cockpit, a curious Threepio has a look out towards one of the escorting Twin Pod Cloud Cars as they approach the Tibanna gas mining colony at Bespin. A classic scene, accompanied by another piece of beautiful music from John Williams.