George Lucas To Present ‘Empire Strikes Back’ Screening To Launch 16th TCM Classic Film Festival
deadline.comStar Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, the second film in the initial Star Wars trilogy, will open the 16th annual TCM Classic Film Festival on Thursday, April 24, and on board to present the film will be director George Lucas, Turner Classics Movies announced.
Celebrating its 45th Anniversary, the gala presentation and opening night launches a weekend fest showcasing exclusive programming themed around “Grand Illusions: Fantastic Worlds on Film.” “The Empire Strikes Back is like The Godfather Part II,” said Ben Mankiewicz, TCM Primetime Anchor and Official Host of the TCM Classic Film Festival. “Yes, technically, they’re sequels, the second movie in a series.
But they are so much more. Empire not only dazzled and delighted Star Wars fans, it pushed the boundaries of moviemaking, further deepening its characters and expanding the most popular cinematic universe of all time.” Continued Mankiewicz, “The first Star Wars picture in 1977 ignited a new era in Hollywood and turned a generation of young people into passionate movie fans for life.
Then, somehow, three years later, along comes Empire, which might even be better. It’s a stunning accomplishment and surely stands one of the great achievements in the history of film.” The film stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, David Prowse, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, James Earl Jones, and Frank Oz.
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