Return of the Jedi

Return of the Jedi (also known as Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi) is a 1983 American <a href="/facts/Epic_film/wWInDjcD">epic</a> <a href="/facts/Space_opera/dA55c3Vs">space opera</a> film directed by <a href="/facts/Richard_Marquand/wQMYfYuX">Richard Marquand</a> from a screenplay by <a href="/facts/Lawrence_Kasdan/Tz8Y63Ff">Lawrence Kasdan</a> and <a href="/facts/George_Lucas/1bLspXbj">George Lucas</a>. The sequel to <a href="/facts/The_Empire_Strikes_Back/adwNrWTT">The Empire Strikes Back</a> (1980), it is the third installment in the <a href="/facts/Star_Wars_original_trilogy/PT7MaVNE">original Star Wars trilogy</a> and the sixth chronological film in the "<a href="/facts/Skywalker_Saga/hTYjDxUp">Skywalker Saga</a>". The film follows the ongoing struggle between the malevolent <a href="/facts/Galactic_Empire_(Star_Wars)/oUJF9jNE">Galactic Empire</a> and the freedom fighters of the <a href="/facts/Rebel_Alliance/5BdPkS0v">Rebel Alliance</a>. As the rebels attempt to destroy the Empire's <a href="/facts/Second_Death_Star/AFjT2jNd">second Death Star</a>, <a href="/facts/Luke_Skywalker/tSQLrLf2">Luke Skywalker</a> tries to bring his father, <a href="/facts/Darth_Vader/gy1XBNa9">Darth Vader</a>, back from the dark side of <a href="/facts/The_Force/Sgm5LjcW">the Force</a>. The film stars <a href="/facts/Mark_Hamill/adQ6UJPb">Mark Hamill</a>, <a href="/facts/Harrison_Ford/Dw7TrhAK">Harrison Ford</a>, <a href="/facts/Carrie_Fisher/7TVwCASy">Carrie Fisher</a>, <a href="/facts/Billy_Dee_Williams/9N5hmJUd">Billy Dee Williams</a>, <a href="/facts/Anthony_Daniels/MRxj0Wu8">Anthony Daniels</a>, <a href="/facts/David_Prowse/0ewTU0LQ">David Prowse</a>, <a href="/facts/Kenny_Baker_(English_actor)/fXhswk4r">Kenny Baker</a>, <a href="/facts/Peter_Mayhew/29clFAh7">Peter Mayhew</a>, and <a href="/facts/Frank_Oz/uc4dqqnp">Frank Oz</a>.
<a href="/facts/Steven_Spielberg/KeqLPKoS">Steven Spielberg</a>, <a href="/facts/David_Lynch/9T1gIYEg">David Lynch</a>, and <a href="/facts/David_Cronenberg/VeqFS1If">David Cronenberg</a> were considered to direct the film before Marquand signed on as director. The production team relied on Lucas's storyboards during pre-production. While writing the shooting script, Lucas, Kasdan, Marquand, and producer <a href="/facts/Howard_Kazanjian/JwMeYP5d">Howard Kazanjian</a> spent two weeks in conference discussing ideas to construct it. Kazanjian's schedule pushed shooting to begin a few weeks early to allow <a href="/facts/Industrial_Light_%2526_Magic/P6J0qtC7">Industrial Light & Magic</a> more time to work on the film's effects in post-production. Filming took place in England, California, and Arizona from January to May 1982 (1982-05).
The film was released in theaters on May 25, 1983. It grossed $374 million worldwide during its initial theatrical run, becoming the <a href="/facts/1983_in_film/IETPXkYm">highest-grossing film of 1983</a>. The film was well received by critics, with strong praise going to the performances of the actors, John Williams' score, the special effects and the action sequences. Several re-releases and <a href="/facts/Changes_in_Star_Wars_re-releases/oInvIYug">revisions</a> to the film have followed over the decades, which have brought its total gross to $482 million. The United States <a href="/facts/Library_of_Congress/TfB6dEN5">Library of Congress</a> selected it for preservation in the <a href="/facts/National_Film_Registry/HGoP1Mre">National Film Registry</a> in 2021. A <a href="/facts/Star_Wars_prequel_trilogy/Fyswt67z">prequel trilogy</a>, released between 1999 and 2005, and a <a href="/facts/Star_Wars_sequel_trilogy/H8jQPXux">sequel trilogy</a>, released between 2015 and 2019, followed.

Return of the Jedi open-in-new

Return of the Jedi