‘The Empire Strikes Back’ Set To Open This Year’s TCM Classic Film Festival With George Lucas Presenting

The Force is with Turner Classic Movies as The Empire Strikes Back will open its annual film festival this year, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Running from Thursday, April 24th through Sunday, the 27th, The TCM Classic Film Festival will be celebrating its 16th anniversary in Hollywood, with this year’s theme being Grand Illusions: Fantastic Worlds On Film. The 1980 Star Wars sequel is set to open the festivities, with series creator, producer, and filmmaker George Lucas presenting as part of its 45th anniversary.

TCM lead anchor and the host of the Classic Film Festival, Ben Mankiewicz, had this to say about the sci-fi classic:

…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. 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 came Empire, which might even be better. It’s a stunning accomplishment and surely stands as one of the great achievements in the history of film.

Other films scheduled to screen at the festival include Babe, The Lady Eve, the 1950 animated version of Cinderella, Apocalypse Now, and Spirited Away.