“It’ll Die Right There”: Why George Lucas Feared Empire Strikes Back Could Kill Star Wars

George Lucas was terrified that The Empire Strikes Back would lead to Star Wars’ ruin. Star Wars has become one of the most popular science fiction/science fantasy franchises of all time. This is no wonder, as despite the writing receiving criticism over the years, the creativity and sheer scope of the universe that Lucas created is nothing short of remarkable. What began with just three movies has grown into an almost 50-year-long franchise that’s still going strong, with plenty of Star Wars movies and TV shows still entering the scene.

This, however, wasn’t always the case. When A New Hope – then called Star Wars – first came out, no one suspected how popular it would become. In fact, the reason the Star Wars Holiday Special exists is that executives were afraid that audiences would forget about Star Wars between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, despite the former’s success. Unsurprisingly, George Lucas felt the pressure to continue his winning streak when it came to Star Wars’ popularity.

George Lucas Believed The Sequel Needed To Be Even Better Than The First Movie

Star Wars Insider issue #49 (2000) featured an interview with The Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner. In the interview, he divulged a conversation he had with Lucas where Lucas emphasized the necessity of The Empire Strikes Back surpassing its predecessor. When reminiscing about the discussion, Kershner had this to say:

When I talked to George about it before I took the movie, he explained something. He said, ‘Look, the second film of the ‘Star Wars’ trilogy, if it isn’t as good or better than ‘Star Wars,’ it won’t be a series. It’ll die right there. It’s got to stand up to the original and go beyond it, if possible.’ George wanted me to make a better picture than ‘Star Wars.’ But of course, he did the original groundwork, and what I did was make it as good as possible.

It’s interesting that Lucas thought Star Wars would die if The Empire Strikes Back wasn’t as good as A New Hope. After all, the first movie was a huge success. It would seem natural to tend in the opposite direction – to believe that A New Hope had secured the franchise’s popularity and the next movie didn’t need to be as good. However, Lucas was absolutely right about this. Especially without the Internet to make things go viral and push ads into people’s homes, if The Empire Strikes Back hadn’t lived up to expectations, it likely would’ve killed the franchise.

Empire Strikes Back Cemented The Future Of Star Wars

The Empire Strikes Back changed Star Wars forever, truly securing the franchise’s future. Since then, Star Wars has survived mixed and, in the case of the prequels and sequels, often very negative reviews. Yet, it has remained wildly popular throughout. This is no doubt due in part to The Empire Strikes Back.

The Empire Strikes Back gave Star Wars a whole different vibe. Its more complex and darker themes combined with one of the most famous plot twists in cinema history, making the hero the son of the villain, cemented it in the public eye as something unique. Its undercurrent of hope in the face of defeat is heartwarming and a story that anyone can get behind.

Another thing that made The Empire Strikes Back so good was its practical and visual effects. The Empire Strikes Back had a bigger budget than A New Hope, which allowed Lucas to include more special effects that were revolutionary for the time. This became a major draw for audiences.

Further, The Empire Strikes Back expanded the Star Wars universe by exploring more of the galaxy. While the story still focused on Luke Skywalker and the rebels, the introduction of Star Wars original trilogy characters such as Lando Calrissian and Boba Fett teased an opportunity for greater expansion. It made the galaxy more than just the struggle between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance by showing people in this galaxy who had different motivations and goals. The galaxy has since expanded even more, but it all started with The Empire Strikes Back.

The Empire Strikes Back is available to stream on Disney+