 Within three months of the release of "The Empire Strikes Back", Lucas had recovered his $33 million investment and distributed $5 million in bonuses to employees.It earned $181.4 million during its first run in the United States and Canada.It was re-released on July 31, 1981 and grossed a further $26.8 million and again on November 19, 1982 with a gross of $14.5 million to bring its gross to $222.7 million.