#10. Star Wars V – The Empire Strikes Back
In order to avoid sharing creative rights, George Lucas decided to avoid using a major studio to finance this film. Instead, he bankrolled the $33 million production himself, using a combination of his profits from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) and a bank loan. Although the move was risky, it paid off several times over. Lucas recovered his investment within three months of the film’s release. He then showed gratitude far beyond the Hollywood norm, by sharing the profits with his employees.
Described by George Lucas as “a cynical loner who realizes the importance of being part of a group and helping for the common good“, the captain of the Millenium Falcon, Han Solo (portrayed by Harrison Ford) is frozen in carbonite by Darth Vader. Previous to that scene, Princess Leia (portrayed by Carrie Fisher) finally confesses her feelings for the rogue, telling him: “I love you“. The original response in the script for Ford was “I love you, too,” but George Lucas told Ford to just say what he thought was best and “I know*” was the result, fitting in with his character’s persona perfectly.