Today is the fortieth anniversary of the premiere of Return of the Jedi. The film is the final entry in the original trilogy of Star Wars, and released exactly six years to the day after the release of the original. It follows the Rebellion as they attempt to defeat the Galactic Empire once and for all by destroying the second Death Star and killing the Emperor while Luke Skywalker tries to save his father Darth Vader from the Dark Side of the Force.
The story was part of George Lucas's original vision for the trilogy. Production on the Lucasfilm feature began shortly following the success of the second film The Empire Strikes Back. He wanted his friend Steven Spielberg to direct the film, but issues with the Director's Guild forced Speilberg being banned from directing. Lucas approached several other directors including David Lynch, David Cronenberg, and Lamont Johnson before settling on Richard Marquand. Production began without a completed script, instead relying on Lucas's rough draft. The title Return of the Jedi was initially rejected in favor of Revenge of the Jedi, but Lucas changed it back based on the idea that the Jedi do not seek revenge. There was some debate as to whether the character of Han Solo should be killed off, as actor Harrison Ford was not contracted for the film and his fame had increased dramatically due to the success of Raiders of the Lost Ark. He was kept alive, with rumors suggesting it was more for the toy sales. Shooting on the film started on January 11th, 1982 last until May 20th, 1982. The filming was six weeks shorter than Empire while Lucas was determined to avoid going overbudget. The film employed one of the first uses of a working title to avoid price gouging, claiming to be a horror movie called Blue Harvest. Lucas saved roughly eighteen million dollars by using Lucasfilm's special effects division Industrial Light & Magic. Early test screenings provided disastrous for the audio. Lucas developed THX, which every theater was forced to use in order to show the film, in order to ensure the highest quality possible. Marvel Comics produced a comic series adapting the film.
As with the first two films, the movie was a massive success. It broke box office records for its opening weekend and was the highest grossing film of the year. The film received rave reviews from critics, though it was not as acclaimed as the previous two entries. Critics praised the action sequences, visual effects, story, and satisfying conclusion of the trilogy. It was nominated for numerous awards, including four Academy Awards, and won a Special Achievement Academy Award for Visual Effects as well as the Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film. In 2021, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Some critics call it the weakest of the original trilogy, though it is still considered to be one of the best movies ever made. A limited fortieth anniversary release made it to number four at the box office.
The film features the talents of Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker. Lucas wrote, served as executive and music producer, and provided some second unit directing.