Why George Lucas Changed The Empire Strikes Back Ending… Three Weeks After The Movie’s Release

George Lucas is known for adding and altering movies in the Star Wars franchise; however, this trend started with The Empire Strikes Back, three weeks into its theatrical release. The Empire Strikes Back was the first sequel to Lucas’ original Star Wars film (later retitled A New Hope

) and was seen as the second act of a three-act tale. The movie introduced now iconic characters like Master Yoda, Emperor Palpatine, and Lando Calrissian to the franchise, while also building on the themes and storylines from the previous movie.