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Poster for Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
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Empire Strikes Back (1980) Original Scope Theatrical Trailer [FTD-0160]

Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back(1980)
Released
1980 · FILM

Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back

A desperate Luke Skywalker, stranded on a frozen world and captured by a wampa, turns to the Force for guidance, setting him on a path to Jedi training with Yoda on Dagobah while the Rebel Alliance faces a devastating Imperial assault on Hoth.

“The Star Wars saga continues.”

Directed by
Irvin Kershner, Roy Button
Written by
Leigh Brackett, Lawrence Kasdan
Rated
MPA · PG
Runtime
124 min
AdventureFantasySci-Fi
Streaming on
  • Paramount+

Synopsis

Luke Skywalker embarks on a journey to defeat the Galactic Empire by training under the Jedi Master Yoda. As he learns the ways of the Jedi, Darth Vader intensifies his efforts to capture Luke. Meanwhile, Rebel leader Princess Leia, along with Han Solo, Chewbacca, and the droids C-3PO and R2-D2, face capture, betrayal, and despair.

Credits

Actors
Editor
Production Designer
Director of Photography
Writers
Directors

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How many hands made this film

The scale of the collaboration

A crew of 746+ credited

Why a floor?

This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.

Craft leads on file

Edited by T M ChristopherShot by Peter SuschitzkyScored by John WilliamsDesigned by Norman ReynoldsSound by Ben BurttCostumes by John MolloStunts by Peter DiamondVFX by Tom Kennedy

Box Office

1980 · Box office

💰 Box-office hit — grossed 12× its budget

Why 2.5×?

Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).

Worldwide gross

$209.4M

Budget$18.0M
Worldwide gross$209.4M
break-even (2.5×)

Compare across the franchise →

Re-release box office

20202,097 theaters
$3.9M($5.0M today)
19821,006 theaters
$23.0M($78.8M today)
Total re-release
$26.9M

Domestic gross earned in theatrical re-release, by year · adjusted for inflation

Full synopsis

Versions & cuts

  • special edition· 127 min

Also known as

  • Das Imperium schlägt zurückde
  • Star Wars - Episode 5de
  • Star Wars - Episode V: Das Imperium schlägt zurückde
  • Star Wars: Das Imperium schlägt zurückde
  • Star Wars: Episode V - Das Imperium schlägt zurückde
  • (Flemish, poster title)De tegenaanval van het rijk
  • (short title)El imperio contraataca
  • Star Wars Episode Ven
  • Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Backen
  • The Empire Strikes Backen
  • Star Wars: Episodio V - El Imperio contraatacaes
  • L'Empire contre-attaquefr
  • Star Wars, épisode V : L'Empire contre-attaquefr
  • L'Impero colpisce ancorait
Release dates around the world3 countries · show
  • United StatesMay 17, 1980
  • United KingdomMay 20, 1980
  • CanadaMay 21, 1980

Production & Distribution

Production
Lucasfilm

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