The Empire Strikes Back, also known as Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner and written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas.

Produced by Lucasfilm, it is the second film in the Star Wars film series (albeit the fifth chronologically) and the sequel to Star Wars (1977). Set three years after the events of the first film, the Galactic Empire, under the leadership of Darth Vader and the Emperor, pursues Luke Skywalker and the rest of the Rebel Alliance. While Vader relentlessly pursues Luke’s friends—Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO—Luke studies the Force under Jedi Master Yoda. The ensemble cast includes Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, David Prowse, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, and Frank Oz.

Lucas conceived Star Wars as a single film but split it into parts after his drafts became too long. Following the success of Star Wars, Lucas hired Brackett to write the sequel; after Brackett’s death in 1978, he outlined the Star Wars saga as a whole and developed the script himself before hiring Kasdan. Lucas chose not to direct due to his obligations at Industrial Light & Magic and handling the financing, and passed the duty to Kershner, his former professor.

Filmed from March to September 1979, The Empire Strikes Back faced a difficult production that included actor injuries, a set fire, and fines from the Writers and Directors Guilds of America. The initial budget was $18 million, but ballooned to $33 million by the time production concluded, making it one of the most expensive films ever made at the time.

The Empire Strikes Back premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on May 17, 1980, and was released in the United States on May 21, 1980. The film became the highest-grossing film of 1980. Though it was met with divided reviews, it is now regarded as the best film in the Star Wars saga and one of the greatest films ever made.

The film has grossed over $547 million worldwide from its original run and several rereleases. Adjusted for inflation, it is the second-highest-grossing sequel of all time and the thirteenth highest-grossing film of all time in North America. In 2010, the film was selected for preservation in the United States’ National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

The Empire Strikes Back had a significant impact on filmmaking and popular culture, being regarded as a rare example of a sequel that transcends the original. The climax, in which Vader reveals to Luke that he is his father, is often cited as one of the greatest plot twists in cinematic history. The Empire Strikes Back was followed by Return of the Jedi in 1983. The two films, alongside the original Star Wars, comprise the original Star Wars trilogy.