The Untold Truth Of The Empire Strikes Back

Over the years, ardent fans have tried to understand what led to the crests of hits like A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back—and the valley of the prequels. Many names have been tossed around in an attempt to figure out which writers, producers, and directors bring out the best in Star Wars. One of the chief architects of the first two movies walked away afterwards, and he's largely been forgotten by the fandom. His name is Gary Kurtz.

Kurtz served as the producer of A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back, but he wore many different hats as needed, from helping direct to coming up with the name for Empire Strikes Back. He was involved with bringing Star Wars to life from the very beginning, and he helped usher in two absolutely amazing movies. What drove him away from that galaxy far, far away? It turns out it was all those damn toys.

Specifically, Kurtz has spoken openly about something many Star Wars fans have griped about over the years. "I could see where things were headed...The toy business began to drive the [Lucasfilm] empire," he lamented. "It's a shame." He clarified his stance at an event, saying "The emphasis on the toys, it's like the cart driving the horse ... If it wasn't for that, the films would be done for their own merits. The creative team wouldn't be looking over their shoulder all the time." He left after Empire Strikes Back, and the next film was filled with toy-friendly teddy bears who ended up with a cartoon series and spinoff movies.