Long, Lost ‘Empire Strikes Back’ Behind-The-Scenes Documentary Resurfaces After Almost 40 Years

Welcome to #FlashbackFriday, where we look at past moments with filmmakers, actors, etc. and highlight something in cinema history that’s fascinating, amusing, perhaps something you never knew or have seen, you name it.

The behind-the-scenes stories surrounding the original “Star Wars” trilogy are fairly well-known. Throughout the decades, books, videos, interviews, and so much more have been released detailing every nook and cranny of the creation of the three legendary sci-fi/fantasy films. That being said, there’s always been one BTS item that has been highly desirable but thought lost for the ages — the French documentary about the making of “The Empire Strikes Back.”

And now, for this installment of #FlashbackFriday, we present the full, hour-long documentary that gives viewers a never-before-seen, behind-the-scenes glance at the making of what some consider the greatest space fantasy film of all time.

READ MORE: George Lucas Interview From The ‘Star Wars’ VHS Will Bring You Back To The Glory Days Of The Franchise

Thanks to the power of the Internet and YouTube, an unknown person won a copy of the documentary in an auction and was able to upload it for fans to watch in the comfort of their own home. The doc, simply titled “Making of The Empire Strikes Back” takes viewers behind the scenes during filming of the battle on Hoth that has become so iconic.

Now, over three decades later, it’s amazing to see just how much time, effort, money, and craftsmanship went into creating what would now just be done completely with CGI. From a man inside the wampa costume to how they filmed in so much snow, almost everything was done in camera and on set.

The doc also includes interviews with Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, and Harrison Ford as they discuss what is going to happen in the sequel to “Star Wars,” hinting at a love triangle that is now silly to think about. Overall, “Making of The Empire Strikes Back” presents a look back at one of the best sci-fi films of all time, in perhaps the biggest franchise ever. Not a bad way for film fans to spend an hour.