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Event Review: The Empire Strikes Back 45th Anniversary: Oakland Screening

May 30, 2025

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On May 21, fans descended upon Oakland’s historic Grand Lake Theatre, now 99 years old, to celebrate the 45th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back.

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Presented by Shoe Palace, the free screening treated guests to complimentary popcorn, drinks, and a sleek commemorative poster.

A special display of Star Wars-themed apparel from Shoe Palace added to the festive atmosphere in the lobby.

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Characters from the Golden Gate Garrison of the 501st Legion were there to welcome guests, offer high-fives, and pose for photos, creating an immersive experience for fans of all ages. Everyone’s favorite droid, R2-D2, also made an appearance thanks to the Bay Area Droid Builders.

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Bay Area radio icon Chuy Gomez took the stage, flanked by two imposing Stormtroopers, to thank the capacity crowd and set the tone before the lights dimmed and the iconic opening crawl rolled on screen.

Review by 501st Legion Golden Gate Garrison member Ricky Resurreccion.

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Event Review

Ricky Resurreccion

Based in the Bay Area of San Francisco, Ricky (TK-74259 of the Golden Gate Garrison of the 501st Legion and a member of the Rebel Legion) is a lifelong Star Wars fan with a deep love for costuming, collecting, and immersive fandom. An events professional by trade, he is especially drawn to the energy of fan gatherings and the meaningful connections formed through shared passion at conventions, charity appearances, and community events.

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Counting Down To:

March 2026

sat07mar10:00 AM3:00 PMEcho Base Live: Episode XVIII: 7th March 2026TIME UNTIL THE EVENT ENDS:

April 2026

mon06apr12:01 AM1:01 AMStar Wars: Maul - Shadow LordThis event ends in..

May 2026

fri22may12:01 AM11:59 PMThe Mandalorian & GroguThe Mandalorian & Grogu arrives

Event Details

The Mandalorian and Grogu, announced as The Mandalorian & Grogu, is a Star Wars movie that started production in 2024. Directed by Jon Favreau and produced by Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, and Dave Filoni, it takes place between the events of Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and Episode VII: The Force Awakens, focuses on the adventures of Din Djarin and Din Grogu, and will be a spinoff to the TV series Star Wars: The Mandalorian. The film was announced on January 9 that year on StarWars.com with a conceptual sketch by veteran illustrator Ryan Church, along with an announcement of a second season of the television series Star Wars: Ahsoka. A fourth season of The Mandalorian is also still in development.

On May 7, 2019, Disney revealed their future movie release schedule, including a set of three untitled new Star Wars films, one of which had a scheduled release date of December 20, 2024. The Star Wars Show also reported on the news on May 15. On July 23, 2020, after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the film was delayed to December 19, 2025. After the start of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, Disney shifted their theatrical film release slate, with the film being pushed to its current release date of May 22, 2026. A film directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy occupied this release slot until The Mandalorian & Grogu was announced.

Star Wars Insider 224 revealed the initial film logo was the same as the one for The Mandalorian Season Three. In August 2024, during D23 2024, it was revealed that the film had entered production, and a new logo was revealed, in addition to a teaser that was shown to the audience. In August 2024, Sigourney Weaver revealed that she had joined the cast of The Mandalorian & Grogu.

Alongside the release of the movie, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run will be updated to include a new mission featuring Djarin, Grogu, Tatooine, Endor and Cloud City, which takes place off camera from the film.