The Empire Strikes Back, released in 1980, is the second Star Wars film and the middle chapter of the original trilogy. Set three years after the first film, the Galactic Empire hunts the Rebel Alliance across the galaxy while Luke Skywalker trains to master the Force and face Darth Vader. George Lucas wrote the story, but Leigh Brackett wrote the first draft and died in 1978, after which Lucas wrote the next draft himself before bringing in Lawrence Kasdan to refine it. Lucas handed directing to Irvin Kershner so he could focus on his effects company, Industrial Light and Magic. The shoot in Norway and England brought injuries, illness, fires and money trouble, and the budget rose from $8 million to $30.5 million. The film grossed about $401.5 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of 1980. Its revelation that Vader is Luke's father is often ranked among cinema's greatest twists.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.