AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: LUKE SKYWALKER RETURNS!

Facing inner demons on Dagobah.

He became an instant star and a teen heart throb worldwide with the release of the original Star Wars, though he'd actually been a working actor, primarily in TV and commercial voiceovers, since the early 1970's. With the space fantasy blockbuster's release, he'd go on to make several notable films between 1977 and 1979, including car comedy Corvette Summer and the eventually acclaimed World War II drama, The Big Red One. But with the arrival of The Empire Strikes Back, Mark Hamill was determined to subtly prove himself further as a serious dramatic actor of integrity, and use the sequel to build upon a bigger career once again, his role of Luke Skywalker gaining extra shading in the film's script from George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan, along with key input via new director Irvin Kershner.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2020/05/21/empire-strikes-back-anniversary-mark-hamill-exclusive-star-wars-photos/5226166002/?fbclid=IwAR1vTl5XKEoqAJGmdLA42lGIUCBL27CMNzNxR8vfZFMImFgJsRPB9hluxrw

https://www.starwars.com/news/mark-hamill-interview-empire-strikes-back-40th

https://comicbook.com/starwars/news/star-wars-mark-hamill-thanks-fans-empire-strikes-back-anniversary/

Surveying the Hoth landscape atop his trusty Tauntaun.

A Wampa-wounded Luke traverses the deadly snow wilderness.

At a time when Leia was not Luke's sister, in this posed publicity image.

Ready for action: Commander Luke Skywalker of the Rebel Alliance.

Leading the Rogue Squadron into time-buying action against Imperial Walkers.

Escaping his crashed snowspeeder during the epic Battle of Hoth.

A great posed image of Luke and Han on the wrecked Rebel Base hangar set.

Learning the power of the Force, via the wisdom of Yoda on Dagobah.

Battle ready in a rare posed out-take image.

Can Luke rescue his friends on Bespin?

Taking on the man who 'murdered' his father: Darth Vader.

A brutal duel, with a stunning twist in the tale as the duel reaches its climax.

With thanks to Ian Trussler, Chris Baker, and The Star Wars Archives for selected imagery.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: MEANWHILE, AT ELSTREE...

Kurtz, Kershner and Norman Reynolds inspect an in-development Tauntaun at Elstree Studios.

The start of 1979, and the phasing of pre-production into production for The Empire Strikes Back is underway at Elstree Studios, a venue alive with activity in all its departments- from props building, set production, to make-up and creature construction. With the success of the original Star Wars, all of the film's UK technicians old and new are far more respectful of the potential franchise/continuance filming enterprise since the shaky days of 1976, and even more hard-working in all aspects, determined to help George Lucas deliver a supremely crafted sequel that will also further showcase how British technicians and craftsmen are the best in the world!

The first of many production department heads meetings to be held over the next three quarters of the year.

An Imperial Snowtrooper costume in development.

Producer Robert Watts tests an early hovercraft idea for a Snowspeeder or Rebel Tank.

The handy pointer to the film's Wardrobe Department!

UK movie publicist Alan Arnold confers with George Lucas.

Set building underway.

An Echo Base ice corridor nears completion.

The Rebel Medical centre interior is under construction.

Artoo strolls the newly built Millennium Falcon interior.

The Star Destroyer Bridge takes shape incorporating surviving Death Star sets kept in storage from the original Star Wars.

A work in progress maquette for the Rebel Command Centre.

The Mynocks take shape in the Freeborn lab.workshop.

Other creature development is fully underway at Stuart Freeborn's lab.

The new Millennium Falcon cockpit pod is under construction.

Looking at maquettes of the Dagobah swamp set to be built on the new Star Wars Stage by August 1979.

Spare Threepio parts and a Stormtrooper helmet are on the design table.

X-wing fighter model with height reference.

One of the Rebel base medical droids takes shape in the practical effects department.

A Rebel gun turret is readied for eventual transport to Norway.

Work continues on the Tauntaun heads and frame.

A Tauntaun takes final shape- notice the detailed fur colouring.

The film's diverse weapon props are inspected.

Now residing for a period in the UK, Ralph McQuarrie continues to be an essential part of the film's design team.

The Probe Droid and interior props for the Millennium Falcon take shape.

Freeborn with the Wampa head and Ugnaught masks needed for Spring filming.

Stuart Freeborn supervises the Wampa costume movement, with Des Webb playing the creature.

CLASSIC IMAGE: MINDS FOR MONSTERS!

With its subtly dark moments - the Jabba's Palace creatures having the potential for true grotesqueness, and the struggle between Luke and Vader manipulated by the scary visage of the Emperor (as seen above) - the idea that George Lucas would reach out to singular and unique filmmakers of the quirky, sometimes nightmare-ish and outside the box side kind, like David's Lynch and Cronenberg, as potential directorial candidates for Return of the Jedi was not as implausible an idea as you might thank - both filmmakers then and now being creative mavericks like Lucas, and both could have effectively handled these darker shadings fused with the visual side of the saga if they'd really wanted. Lynch didn't ultimately want to work in someone else's imagination sandbox- a tour of ILM and Lucas's early plans making him queasy, especially the too cute potential of the Ewoks.

As for Cronenberg? Well, here's what he had to say:

https://ew.com/movies/2018/09/28/david-cronenberg-return-of-the-jedi/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=entertainmentweekly_ew&utm_term=20D1EA72-C330-11E8-B861-25974744363C&utm_content=link

CLASSIC IMAGE: SECOND TIME LUCKY!

There can be no further mistakes made by Zam Wesell in her assassination contract on Senator Padme Amidala, as the bounty hunter meets her shadowy employer amidst the colour, hustle and bustle of Coruscant's busy night life, in this scene from EPISODE II.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: THE FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE

Hamill, Fisher and Kurtz pose at the Oslo press conference for TESB, also showcasing their snazzy logo-clad cold weather jackets for cast and crew.

It may be the start of the coldest winter of that time in Norway but there's still lots of warm smiles to enjoy from Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, as they, with producer Gary Kurtz (and his wife Meredith), launch the soon start of principal photography in Norway for the once called 'Star Wars II', now properly titled The Empire Strikes Back, on March 1st, 1979, amidst a plethora of keen-for-a- story world journalists and photographers arrived at the Scandinavia Hotel, Oslo.

Mark and Carrie clown around to the delight of headline-wanting photographers.

The main press conference.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: THAT 'OTHER' FAB FOUR!

Our heroes poses for a terrific cast photo on the then newly inaugurated Star Wars Stage at Elstree Studios, June 1979.

From May 25th, 1977, a new group of hero icons would quickly and deservedly be added to the rosta of cinematic and pop culture history. Heroes from 'A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...' And by 1979, Han Solo, Princess Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker and faithful wookiee Chewbacca, as played by Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Peter Mayhew, would return for an all-new sequel, coming May 1980, with lots of building story/action expectations from fans with the production's clearly ambitious and expensive wake, and with an all-new set of behind the scenes problems having to be sorted out in order to make an Empire truly strike back...

HAPPY 40TH ANNIVERSARY TO 'THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK'!