Celebrating its 40th anniversary with our screening of the Special Edition, this final episode in the original Star Wars trilogy begins as Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), stunned by the news of his true parentage, makes a desperate attempt to rescue Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt. Soon the construction of a new Death Star leads to a confrontation with the Emperor (Ian McDiarmid) as well as a decisive battle against the Empire, with the unexpected help of the plucky Ewoks. This action-packed intergalactic adventure was the final Star Wars film until George Lucas reignited the franchise 16 years later with Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999). Return of the Jedi received Oscar nominations for its art direction, sound, sound effects editing, and John Williams’s original score, and received a Special Achievement Award for the spectacular visual effects created by Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, Ken Ralston, and Phil Tippett.