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George Lucas may be one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema, but according to Star Wars actor Liam Neeson, the legendary filmmaker never actually enjoyed directing.

In an interview with GQ, Neeson offered a surprisingly candid insight into Lucas’s creative process during the filming of The Phantom Menace. He said,

George [Lucas] doesn’t like directing. He told me that. He’d finish a scene and say Natalie, a little bit faster. Liam, a little bit faster. Editing is where he starts to enjoy the process, but actually directing the actors he told me he doesn’t like it.

While Lucas’s groundbreaking innovations in visual effects, world-building, and sound design transformed Hollywood, his passion clearly lay behind the camera, particularly in the editing room, where he could shape the story on his own terms.

Neeson further noted that it was only during the post-production process that Lucas came alive creatively.

It's worth pausing to note that George Lucas has never directed a feature film that is set in the present. "American Graffiti," released in 1973, takes place in 1962. His many "Star Wars" movies, although containing starships and androids, are similarly set "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away." In all these cases, Lucas sees the past as an idealized time, when life was simpler and more pleasant. In the case of "American Graffiti," the past was the calm before the storm, back when life was nothing but potential energy and the future was ready to be explored. In the case of the "Star Wars" films, it was a time when brave heroes rose up to battle fascism and evil empires regularly tumbled.

The future, Lucas feels, is a dour time, and nothing good will happen to humanity when we get there. At the end of "American Graffiti," for instance,...

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"Star Wars" may take place in a galaxy far, far away, but George Lucas and every director who has made their mark on the legendary franchise since its inception has to make do here on Earth. One of the biggest tricks in cinema history is that Lucas and other filmmakers have managed to make an entire galaxy out of the planet we all live on. That has, at times, taken these productions to exotic locations, such as Tunisia, and not-so-exotic ones, like, in one case, Lucas' own swimming pool for a scene in "The Empire Strikes Back."

Despite how much many of us would like to, we'll never get to visit places like Tatooine or Naboo. Disney has offered fans something close to visiting the "Star Wars" galaxy in real life with the Galaxy's Edge theme park at Disneyland and Disney World,...

Star Wars is one of the biggest franchises but has often been a hit or a miss with its entries post the original trilogy. While the prequel trilogy has largely been divisive, only a few of its post-Disney offerings such as The Mandalorian, Rogue One, and Andor have received unanimous praise. The prequels still remain one of the most polarizing works in Hollywood.

Creator George Lucas took complete creative control over the franchise with the prequel trilogy, all three of which he wrote and directed. The filmmaker reportedly had the idea long back, even during the filming of the original trilogy. He reportedly offered the role of a Jedi space witch to popular B-movie actress Sybil Danning.

Sybil Danning was going to play a Jedi Witch in the Star Wars prequels A still from Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace | Credits: Lucasfilm

George Lucas’ prequel trilogy in Star Wars was an event.

In James Mangold's safe but enjoyable "A Complete Unknown," Bob Dylan, as played by Timothée Chalamet (who just missed out on the Best Actor Oscar) tells his girlfriend Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning), "People make up their past. They remember what they want, they forget the rest." The legendary musician is notorious for doing just that, spinning questionable tales about his own life in a tradition he's very much kept alive throughout his career. His 2019 "Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story," for example, was ostensibly a documentary but came packed with tall tales and fictionalized accounts of non-events, all presented as if they were incontrovertible fact.

This penchant for elaboration and misdirection, combined with his massive success and prolific output, has helped Dylan attain a kind of mythical status in pop culture. As such, you're never really sure which stories about the man are actually true — and there are many of them.

Did iconic directors refuse to helm Star wars prequel? (Photo Credit – Wikipedia)

Well, guess what? They all said no. Why? Because sometimes even legends don’t want to mess with the mythos. Ron Howard spilled the galactic tea in a 2015 Happy Sad Confused podcast interview. Lucas had approached Spielberg, Zemeckis, and Howard (Apollo 13 genius) with an offer no filmmaker could refuse—or so you’d think.

But all three turned him down. Howard revealed, “They all said the same thing: ‘George, you should do it.’ I don’t think anybody wanted to follow up that act at the time. It was an honor, but it would’ve been too daunting.”

This wasn’t Lucas’s first rodeo with delegation. After a grueling experience directing A New Hope, he let Irvin Kershner and Richard Marquand handle The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. His plan for the prequels?...

When George Lucas started the Star Wars saga in 1977, neither Lucas nor audiences knew how big the franchise would become. The original Star Wars movie (later renamed Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope) was a monumental success, due in no small part to its revolutionary use of visual effects. The success of the first movie allowed Lucas to independently finance the next two movies of the Star Wars saga, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi. Later, the prequel trilogy would bring a new wave of visual effects technology to Star Wars, allowing Lucas to expand his world-building.

The emergence of new technologies after the release of the original Star Wars trilogy inspired Lucas to return to these movies to further enhance them. 1997 saw the release of the Star Wars Special Editions, which added new shots,...

Denis Villeneuve, the Hollywood sci-fi visionary behind films like Dune and Blade Runner 2049, might seem like the perfect director to tackle a Star Wars film. The thing is that he just doesn’t want to do it, and while every artist is entitled to their own opinion, especially when it comes to what they decide to make, Villeneuve has finally given a concrete explanation. The reason why Villeneuve is not interested in making a Star Wars film is because of the Ewoks.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Villeneuve’s hot take on Star Wars was documented in an episode of The Town podcast. The director’s opinion aligns with what many Star Wars fans felt upon the release of Richard Marquand’s Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi – it was a step-down from The Empire Strikes Back:

“I was the target audience. I was 10 years old.

Members of the armed services can and will argue amongst themselves, but in the minds of people and pop culture, Navy SEALs loom large as the picture of the United States' most elite military men. We can probably thank the fiction of Tom Clancy, and the fact that a Seal team that killed 9-11 mastermind Osama bin Laden, but Hollywood has been enamored with the special operations force for at least the last three decades. When a character in any movie is declared to be either a current or former Navy Seal, it's a given that they won't go down easily. When we discuss the most ruthless thing a U.S. president can do short of a nuclear strike, more often than not it's, "Send in Seal Team 6!"

While movies often take artistic license, it's fair to say that some of the movies featuring Navy SEALs are significantly more accurate than others,...

Across the Star Wars saga, all kinds of legendary filmmakers have come out to play – from George Lucas kicking it all off (alongside Irvin Kershner and Richard Marquand), to Rian Johnson and JJ Abrams in the sequel era, and the likes of Jon Favreau, Bryce Dallas Howard, Carl Weathers, Robert Rodriguez, and Kogonada helming episodes of the streaming series. But even by Star Wars standards, upcoming series Skeleton Crew – a galactic pirate adventure, in which four suburban kids get lost in the vastness of space and have to find their way home – boasts a particularly stellar roster of filmmakers.

Jon Watts – of the Spider-Man MCU trilogy – devised the show along with his longtime collaborator and friend Christopher Ford, and together the pair assembled an who’s-who of directing talent: Bryce Dallas Howard and Twisters' Lee Isaac Chung return after their Mandalorian episodes; longtime Star Wars devotee David Lowery (The Green...

We have sad news to report today. Robert Watts, the producer on the Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies as well as other beloved films has passed away. He died in his sleep at the age 86.

Watts was friends and worked for producer Gary Kurtz, which is how he started on Star Wars: A New Hope as a production manager. From there, he would step up as the associate producer for The Empire Strikes Back and then later was the co-producer for Return of the Jedi, via Deadline. From his work with the Star Wars trilogies, he would also join Steven Spielberg on his trilogy of films with Indiana Jones. He started as the associate producer for Raiders of the Lost Arc before becoming the producer for the other two films in the franchise.

Watts also made a small cameo in Return of the Jedi. Via Lucasfilm, who shared a...

George Lucas created one of the most imaginative film worlds out there at a time when technological advancement in films was still miles away. However, the creative process also took a toll on Lucas and he was open about the stress that filming Star Wars caused him. He even revealed that the long gap of nearly 16 years between the original and prequel series was a deliberate move because of two major reasons.

George Lucas | Credits: nicolas genin, licensed under Cc By-sa 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lucas stepped down from directing duties after the first film in 1977. After handing over the director’s role to Irvin Kershner, Lucas focused solely on developing his special effects company Ilm. Lucas avoided taking further stress when he decided not to direct Return of the Jedi as well.

George Lucas Revealed The Real Reason Why Original And Prequel Star Wars Came 16 Years Apart A still...

Star Wars is one of the most lucrative media franchises to come out of Hollywood, starting out as a personal project for George Lucas, and having all the trappings of a perfect B-movie. However, the franchise has since snowballed into one of the pillars of Disney, and one of the most lucrative IPs to come out of classical Hollywood.

George Lucas, in an interview with Charlie Ross, talked a lot about how he accidentally stumbled onto mainstream success, something that forced him to make the kind of films that he wasn’t very keen on. Further, Star Wars would eventually end up out of his hands, leaving the director free to do what he set out to do in the first place: make films for himself.

George Lucas never wanted to make popular films George Lucas || Image by Joey Gannon, licensed under Cc By-sa 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

George Lucas revealed that,...

A common misconception about the original "Star Wars" trilogy is that all the films were all directed by creator George Lucas. Yes, Lucas directed the first movie, and he was the main creative voice behind "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi," but those latter two films were directed by Irvin Kershner and Richard Marquand, respectively. Kershner proved a great choice, as his skill at getting emotional performances out of his actors made a strong counter to Lucas' famously stiff approach to all things human. Marquand was a little more questionable; personally, I'd have preferred it if David Lynch had given us his "Star Wars" spin.

Despite "Empire" being arguably the best movie in the franchise, Lucas did not take the right lesson from it: he went on to direct the three prequel films himself, with infamously bad results. Suddenly we were getting longwinded, nonsensical action sequences and terrible acting,...

Star Wars: A New Hope was released in 1977 and launched the epic space opera franchise created by George Lucas. The film introduced viewers to the fan-favorite smuggler turned Rebel, Han Solo, played by Harrison Ford, who goes on to become a love interest for Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia. However, Solo originally had a different love interest in the movie.

Harrison Ford played Han Solo in the Star Wars universe (Credit: Lucasfilm).

In a deleted scene from the first Star Wars movie, Han Solo is seen to have a girlfriend in the infamous Cantina scene. However, the scene did not make it into the final cut for reasons unknown. Nonetheless, given the popularity of the Han-Leia relationship from the original trilogy, it is easy to understand that fans might revolt at the revelation of Solo’s other girlfriend.

Star Wars: A New Hope Initially Included a Love Interest For Harrison...

Richard Marquand helmed the final installment in the original Star Wars trilogy of movies. The filmmaker directed Return of the Jedi, which concluded the story set up by George Lucas in 1977’s A New Hope, with Luke’s fight against the Empire reaching its climax. However, Marquand admitted in an interview that his movie was better than Lucas’ original in one aspect.

Return of the Jedi was directed by Richard Marquand (Credit: Lucasfilm).

During an interview, Marquand was asked about directing the final installment in the original trilogy. At the time, the filmmaker revealed how he approached the movie, making it more emotionally mature compared to some of the earlier installments. Therefore, Marquand felt that Return of the Jedi was better than the original film, and here is what he had to say.

Director Richard Marquand Revealed How Return of the Jedi Was Better Than Other Star Wars Movies

Richard...

Return of the Jedi marked the end of the original Star Wars trilogy, which saw Luke Skywalker confront Darth Vader for the final time. During the film’s climax, Luke and Vader come face to face after their epic duel at the end of Empire Strikes Back. However, with the knowledge that Vader is Luke’s father, the emotional stakes are higher than before.

Return of the Jedi marked the end of the original Star Wars trilogy (Credit: Lucasfilm).

During an interview, director Richard Marquand revealed how the final fight was initially supposed to be much grander in scope. However, franchise creator George Lucas later came up with the reasoning for toning down the final battle. Here is what Marquand revealed about the fight between Luke and Vader, which resulted in the most decisive scene in the franchise looking so tame.

Return of the Jedi Director Revealed How George Lucas...

The original Star Wars trilogy remains one of the most popular pieces of fictional media. The original trilogy concluded with Return of the Jedi, which saw Luke Skywalker and his friends defeat the Empire and the former redeemed his father. However, the iconic film had to operate under an entirely different title.

Return of the Jedi marked the conclusion of the original Star Wars trilogy (Credit: Lucasfilm).

During an interview, the film’s production designer Jim Bloom revealed why the third installment in the trilogy underwent a title change. Bloom explained how the franchise’s popularity pose logistical issues to the final installment of the original trilogy and here why the film was produced under a different title.

Return of the Jedi Had to Film Under a False Title For One Messed-up Reason

Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi was directed by Richard Marquand and flew into...

The Star Wars franchise has been at odds with their fans for quite some time now. The distance between the creators and those who consume the content they create has been growing more and more, with neither of them listening to what the other truly wants. Despite all the conflicts, fans will always be protective of the series from outsiders.

Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian I Lucasfilm

Even though recent projects have failed to impress fans, they will not hesitate to point out when someone is trying to add fuel to the fire of the fandom. Recently, a news reporting site published some misleading news about Donald Glover’s Lando series. Fans refused to be made fools of and pointed out their intentions.

Donald Glover’s Lando Project Has Not Been Cancelled

Donald Glover’s Lando series has been highly anticipated by Star Wars fans. Since the announcement of the project,...

The galaxy far, far away is home to some of the most interesting and eclectic characters who have become pop-culture sensations in their own right. Characters such as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo will forever be in the fans’ hearts. Despite this, one character was reportedly a nightmare to craft.

Return of the Jedi revealed his take on the worst Star Wars character (Credit: Lucasfilm).

According to Richard Marquand, the director of Return of the Jedi, the robotic companion R2-D2 was extremely difficult to work with. However, Marquand had a rather understandable reason behind naming R2-D2 as the worst character in the franchise. Here is what Marquand had to say about his struggles with directing R2-D2.

Return of the Jedi Director Richard Marquand Called R2-D2 the Worst Star Wars Character

George Lucas directed the first Star Wars film before handing over the reins for...

Actress Carrie Fisher is renowned for her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise, playing a pivotal role in the original trilogy. Despite having a pleasant experience in the first two movies of the trilogy, Fisher had a bad experience while working on the third part.

Carrie Fisher played Princess Leia in the Star Wars universe (Credit: Lucasfilm).

In an interview, Fisher revealed why she was reduced to tears while working on Return of the Jedi. Fisher stated that she and director Richard Marquand did not get along, with the latter yelling at her on one occasion. Here is what Fisher had to say about working with the director on Return of the Jedi.

Carrie Fisher Admitted She Did Not Get Along With One Star Wars Director

Carrie Fisher debuted in the role of Princess Leia Organa in 1977’s Star Wars, directed by George Lucas. Fisher, who passed...

Ian McDiarmid's acting career stretches back to 1972 when he appeared in a production of "Hamlet" at the Open Space Theater in London. He continued a prolific stage career while simultaneously moving to film in 1976 with his cinematic debut "The Likely Lads," a bawdy comedy film. McDiarmid might first have been recognized by mainstream American audiences thanks to his appearance in Matthew Robbins' 1981 fantasy film "Dragonslayer," although he assured a permanent spot in the pop culture canon in 1983 when he appeared as the evil Emperor in Richard Marquand's "Return of the Jedi."

Because that film was part of the "Star Wars" series, McDiarmid might have been at peace with the fact that he'd likely appear in future sequels. It would take another 16 years, but McDiarmid returned as a young version of the Emperor in George Lucas' "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace." That film was a prequel...

George Lucas’ Star Wars franchise stands as a cornerstone of modern science fiction. Initially an ambitious space opera project, it has evolved into one of the most successful and beloved franchises in history. Spanning several decades, Star Wars has captivated multiple generations of fans and continues to be revered as one of the greatest fictional universes ever created.

Despite its cult classic status and millions of devoted followers, tales from the production of these films continue to intrigue us. Whether they pertain to the newer installments or the original trilogy, the report we have today hails from the latter.

This story centers around David Prowse, the actor who portrayed the body of Darth Vader in the original trilogy. While Prowse did not provide the voice or the unmasked face of Darth Vader, he embodied the physical presence of the character. This report aims to uncover the reasons behind this casting decision.

George Lucas’ Star Wars franchise is a pillar of modern science fiction. What started out as a relatively ambitious space opera project became one of the most lucrative and popular franchises in history. Being present for several decades now, Star Wars has raised multiple generations of fans and it still remains one of the best fictional universes ever created.

But, while the whole franchise is now a cult classic with millions of followers, there are still stories from the production of these films that intrigue us, regardless of whether they are from the production of the newer films, or the original trilogy. The report we have for you today is from the latter.

It involves the story of David Prowse, the actor who was the body of Darth Vader in the original trilogy; we know that Prowse was neither the voice nor the face of Darth Vader beneath the mask,...

Donald Sutherland showcased versatility in roles with his chilling performance as a ruthless Nazi spy in Eye of the Needle. The film, set during WWII, features a villain protagonist driven by icy precision and determination. Eye of the Needle, based on Ken Follett's novel, was directed by Richard Marquand, who later directed Return of the Jedi.

Donald Sutherland had an uncanny ability to slip into a wide variety of genres and roles while remaining eminently recognizable. This was especially evident when he followed his Oscar-worthy performance as a grieving father in the 1980 drama film Ordinary People with a chilling performance as a ruthless Nazi spy in the 1981 spy film Eye of the Needle.

Set in the United Kingdom during World War II, between 1940 and 1944, Eye of the Needle presents Sutherlands character, Henry Faber, as a Nazi spy who is so resolute in his quest to successfully complete his mission...

George Lucas will be forever remembered as the man who invented Star Wars with his 1977 film Star Wars (later retitled: – Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope).

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) | Lucasfilm Ltd.

However, the director averted his gaze from the franchise when it came to the subsequent sequels. Veteran actor Mark Hamill, who portrayed the role of Luke Skywalker in the franchise, wished that Lucas had continued like Steven Spielberg did with the Indiana Jones franchise.

Mark Hamill Wasn’t Able To Work With George Lucas Again

It was 1977 when Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and, George Lucas joined hands for Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. After the film’s success, Lucas left the director’s chair and went back to the storyboard.

George Lucas | Image by Joey Gannon, licensed under Cc By-sa 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The other two films...

Star Wars might’ve been famous for many things in the ’80s, like being a fan-favorite space adventure saga and launching the genre of science fiction into the pop culture orbit. Still, cinematic editing was certainly not one of them.

Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi (1983) | Lucasfilm Ltd.

If you revisit Return of the Jedi, you’ll see it for yourself as Mark Hamill tries to kick one of the adversaries in a fight sequence, but in vain, thanks to poor editing and choreography.

Mark Hamill’s Infamous ‘Force Kick’ – A Joke Without A Punchline

There’s no ounce of doubt that Mark Hamill was a stellar Luke Skywalker, but even one of the most indomitable Jedis is bound to have bad days. And perhaps that’s what happened in Richard Marquand’s Return of the Jedi when Hamill goes on to kick an opponent in a scene...

Donald Sutherland is dead at the age of 88. The news was confirmed on X by his son Kiefer, who wrote, “With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away. I personally think one of the most important actors in the history of film. Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that. A life well lived.”

One of the most acclaimed actors of his or any generation, Donald Sutherland appeared in almost every genre of movie imaginable, with a presence that could carry the artiest of arthouse movies as well as the biggest blockbuster spectaculars. Consider that one of his earliest hits was “The Dirty Dozen,” in which he was one of the title squad; and in his last years he starred as the primary...

Director George Lucas surprised cinemagoers with his uniquely charming space-opera film Star Wars, released in 1977. The film became a cultural phenomenon and spawned a franchise with several sequels, prequels, and spin-off media that have continued to expand upon Lucas’ original idea for a galaxy far, far away.

Andor proved to be one of the best Star Wars projects of recent times (Credit: Lucasfilm).

Amidst the franchise’s recent struggles, Andor established itself as one of the most unique and fresh entries in the Star Wars universe, arguably since the original trilogy. However, the series emerging as one of the best entries wouldn’t surprise creator Lucas as it is something the acclaimed filmmaker himself foretold decades ago. Here is how Andor fulfills a prophecy by George Lucas.

George Lucas Prophesized More Original Voices Coming to His Star Wars Franchise

George Lucas launched the Star Wars franchise back in 1977 with the...

George Lucas’ Star Wars saga is a trilogy of trilogies; The Return of The Jedi is the perfect film that honors the ending of the classic trilogy, and some even argue that the ending could not be any more perfect. Episode VI ended on a high note that honored the film’s epic story, ending Emperor Palpatine’s reign of terror and Darth Vader’s redemption with some old Force ghosts present at the celebration scene.

Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in Episode VI. Credits: Lucasfilm Ltd.

However, the film’s epic conclusion was nailed down by a plethora of drafts because Lucas could not decide on a script that ended the story on a high note. Moreover, in several drafts, the ending varied from the one we have seen in the final version of the film because it did not have enough dramatic effect.

George Lucas Could Not Decide...

Actor John Boyega starred in three of the extant 16 "Star Wars" movies*, playing the rogue-Stormtrooper-turned-good guy Finn in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (2015), "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" (2017), and "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" (2019). Boyega liked playing Finn, but has gone on record (notably in a 2020 GQ interview) about his disappointment with how the series treated his character; Finn was set up to be a leading man, and was sidelined for what appeared to be racism-based reasons. Boyega was also off-put by Disney's habit of micromanaging "Star Wars," feeling that every one of the franchise's actors ran the risk of being roped into "Star Wars" projects exclusively. "You ain't going to Disney+ me," he once laughingly said to Variety. 

There hasn't been a "Star Wars" movie since 2019, as Disney+ kind of killed their Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs. The theatrical market was oversaturated, audiences didn't respond terribly well...

The Star Wars franchise has come a long way from just being another fantasy world filled with fictional characters set in fictional lands. It is a world of fiction yet one that has deep emotional themes of friendship, love, hope, courage, and more. A fictional world yet deeply rooted in reality, there are several memorable events that fans have come to deeply resonate with.

The Star Wars franchise. | PC: StarWars.com.

While most such scenes can be attributed to the writers or directors, some scenes came to life thanks to the artistic creativity and emotional understanding of the actors. One scene, in particular, involving Tom Rose’s Admiral Ackbar in The Return of the Jedi happened because the actor refused to have the director have his way, which led to Richard Marquand losing his cool.

When Tim Rose Refused to Film One Star Wars Scene

Actor Tim Rose [PC: nm5640306 autoGage Skidmore...

Return of the Jedi marked the conclusion of the original trilogy of Star Wars films. Richard Marquand was in the director’s chair as the third installment in the franchise brought Luke Skywalker’s fight against the Empire to a conclusion, ending the trilogy on a happy note. However, years later franchise spearhead George Lucas revived the saga for the prequel trilogy.

Return of the Jedi directed by Marquand concluded the original Star Wars trilogy (Credit: Lucasfilm).

During an interview conducted years before the prequel trilogy premiered and polarized fans across the globe, Marquand put his hat in the ring to helm the preludes. Marquand expressed an interest in helming the prequels alongside Lucas’ close friend Steven Spielberg. Here is what Marquand had to say about his desire to direct the infamous Star Wars prequels.

Return of the Jedi Director Richard Marquand Wanted to Direct the Star Wars Prequels Alongside...

Richard Marquand directed Return of the Jedi, the final installment in George Lucas’ original Star Wars trilogy. However, he sadly passed away less than four years after the film’s release. A new unpublished interview conducted with Marquand before his passing was later released on the eve of the film’s 30th anniversary.

Richard Marquand directed 1984’s Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (Credit: Lucasfilm).

During the interview, Marquand spoke about the experience of directing a Star Wars movie. At the same time, the director also revealed the character he had the hardest time working with, and it was none other than the fan-favorite droid R2-D2. Here is what Marquand had to say about directing the droid in Return of the Jedi and why it was challenging.

Return of the Jedi Director Richard Marquand Talks Working With R2-D2

Return of the Jedi marks the final entry in the...

R2-D2 is a curious character in "Star Wars" lore. It's a three-foot-tall trashcan-shaped high-tech utility knife on wheels, most often used as a navigational computer (it can be plugged into the navigational systems of small spacecraft), and only communicating using a series of beeps and computerized chirping noises. Other characters talk to R2-D2 as if it's a human being, and indeed, some of its computer language sounds a little bit like a human voice, but one might be able to question if R2-D2 possesses consciousness. 

R2's sounds were provided by long-term "Star Wars" sound designer and editor Ben Burtt, and in multiple "Star Wars" films, actor Kenny Baker operated R2's moving parts from within. The human touch leads many to rest assured that R2 is indeed a conscious being with feelings and memories beyond mere computational storage. R2's consciousness was reinforced in the 1985 animated TV series "Droids,...

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are the Hollywood duo who have had a significant cultural impact with their creative partnership on franchises like Indiana Jones. After the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, Lucas reportedly wanted to continue their collaborative journey with the third installment in the epic space opera, Return of the Jedi.

Return of the Jedi (image credit: LucasFilm)

Lucas had stepped away from the director’s chair after Episode I – A New Hope. After Irvin Kershner helmed the sequel, he sought Spielberg with the offer to direct the third installment of his epic space opera. However, his plans did not come to fruition due to Lucas’ feud and Spielberg’s association with the Directors Guild of America.

Steven Spielberg Could Not Direct Episode VI – Return of the Jedi

Following their successful collaboration on Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars: Episode VI seemed like an...

George Lucas vetted several options before roping in Richard Marquand to helm Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Some directors were not interested in directing Lucas’s epic space film, while the creator rejected a few others. One of the directors whom Lucas didn’t want for the film was the Basic Instinct director Paul Verhoeven.

Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher in a still from George Lucas’s Return of the Jedi | Lucasfilm Ltd.

While he was a director with a vision, Verhoeven was known for including graphic scenes depicting violence and s*xual content in his films. Lucas wasn’t impressed by these scenes in one of the director’s films and decided to look for another director.

George Lucas Didn’t Want Paul Verhoeven To Direct Return Of The Jedi

Paul Verhoeven on the sets of Elle | Sbs Productions

Paul Verhoeven worked in the Dutch...

The Star Wars franchise is one of the highest-grossing franchises of all time and has spawned multiple films, shows, animated series, and comic books. The Galaxies created by George Lucas changed pop culture as well as blockbuster filmmaking since the first film was released in 1977. The film earned $775 million against a budget of $11 million.

While Lucas directed the first film in the original trilogy, he wanted to take more of a creative producer role in subsequent films of the original trilogy. The Empire Strikes Back was helmed by Irvin Kershner while Return of the Jedi was directed by Richard Marquand. However, Lucas reportedly first had David Lynch in mind for the latter.

David Lynch Rejected The Opportunity To Direct A Star Wars Movie George Lucas | Credits: YouTube/Full Bodied Productions

George Lucas’ Star Wars was and still is one of the hottest properties in Hollywood and many filmmakers would give...

George Lucas directed 1977’s Star Wars, which set up the popular space-opera franchise that is going strong even today. Lucas followed up the original with two sequels, which improved on the formula of the first film while delivering an epic sci-fi fantasy and emotional drama. However, Lucas stepped back from the director’s chair for the latter two installments.

George Lucas did not return to direct The Empire Strike Back and its sequel.

In an interview, Lucas was asked about whether stepping away from directing the movies impacted the final product. In response, Lucas had a surprising answer, explaining how the movies would have differed if he had taken on the directorial responsibility. Here is everything you need to know about how Lucas feels about not directing the sequels to his original 1977 film.

George Lucas Answers Whether the Star Wars Movies Would’ve Been Different If He Directed

George Lucas...

Hollywood legend Jeff Bridges is widely known for his characters such as the lovable stoner Jeff Lebowski at the center of The Big Lebowski or Rooster Cogburn in an Oscar-winning turn in the remake of True Grit. But, almost 40 years ago, Bridges was a young actor with swagger who played Jack Forrester in the 1985 courtroom thriller Jagged Edge in one of his best performances to date. By then, he had established himself as a leading man in good guy roles. The early '80s saw him give notable turns in various genres, including the revolutionary science fiction classic Tron, the classic adventure drama King Kong opposite Jessica Lange, and as an affable alien in Starman. So, when he took the part of a newspaperman accused of killing his wealthy wife out of greed in Jagged Edge, audiences had never seen this side of Bridges as an actor. He was fresh...

Being as humongous and intricate as it is, the Star Wars franchise has had several plotholes that continue to confuse fans. From the Galaxy forgetting the Jedi to Palpatine’s secret horde of superweapons, there are several instances and events that remain unsolved. And one of the biggest plotholes is the relationship between Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker in the first film.

Leia and Luke in the original Star Wars trilogy

From their incestuous kiss to their alleged romantic trope, the misunderstanding of the two being romantically involved was also aided by John Williams’ romantic musical score. And the legendary composer solely blames George Lucas for his mistake.

John Williams’ Star Wars Mistake Was All Because of George Lucas

Star Wars’ composer, John Williams (Image: YouTube | Stephan Aubé)

George Lucas‘ first Star Wars movie was more of a gamble, with no expectations that it would even be a hit let...

It's fun going back to watch Irvin Kershner's 1980 sci-fi epic "The Empire Strikes Back," knowing what twists would come in subsequent sequels. In "Empire," Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) became angry at Han Solo (Harrison Ford), a man Leia knew was attracted to her. To make Han jealous, Leia brazenly grabs a nearby Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and kisses him full on the mouth. Luke knows that Leia was only playing a game, but was happy to be kissed. Han stormed out of the room, outraged. Luke smiled in smug satisfaction. 

In Richard Marquand's 1983 follow-up film "Return of the Jedi," it would be revealed that Luke and Leia were siblings. This was clearly a last-minute plot twist, meant to parallel the "surprise" from "Empire" that the villainous Darth Vader was actually Luke Skywalker's father. The "Jedi" twist wasn't thought out, however, as it retroactively incorporated into "Star Wars" an...

The action-packed finale of Return of the Jedi originally took place on the city-planet that inspired Coruscant, but George Lucas changed it for cost reasons. Had Abbadon was the original name for Coruscant, which inspired future Star Wars creators and was repurposed in other parts of the franchise. Coruscant's debut was in a 1991 novel and later incorporated into Return of the Jedi in the 1997 Special Edition.

The action-packed finale of Return of the Jedi originally took place on Coruscant, but George Lucas and Richard Marquand ultimately changed it. George Lucas always intended the Empire to be based on a city-planet (technically called an ecumenopolis). But the planet Coruscant didn't debut until the 1991 novel Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn, later incorporated into the movies in the 1997 Star Wars Special Edition of Return of the Jedi.

Coruscant only had a small appearance in the Special Edition, of course. Return of the Jedi...

In George Lucas' 1977 sci-fi flick "Star Wars," there is a scene wherein a cadre of Nazi-like bad guys, in the employ of the evil Empire, gather around a boardroom table and mention that the mysterious off-screen Emperor has dissolved the senate and taken absolute control. The military generals are outraged, wondering how the Empire might survive without a bureaucracy in place. In Irvin Kirshner's 1980 sequel "The Empire Strikes Back," it's established that Darth Vader (David Prowse), a mysterious masked warlock, was actually the Emperor's right-hand man, indicating that the Emperor retains control of the Empire through the sheer force of his villainy.

In "The Empire Strikes Back," the Emperor appeared in holographic form to have a powwow with Darth Vader and plan his next move. In the original cut of the movie, the Emperor was played on screen by actress Marjorie Eaton, outfitted with eerie, alien eyeballs. Eaton was a long-working character performer in Hollywood,...

During the climax of Richard Marquand's 1983 film "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi," the evil Empire's second Death Star was destroyed by the Rebel Army, the ghoulish Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) was killed, and his right-hand warlock Darth Vader (David Prowse) died in the conflagration. It seemed that evil had been vanquished and that everything was well in the galaxy. For many, many years, fans didn't see what happened after that film, presumably because a new era of peace had begun and the Star Wars were over. 

It wasn't until the release of J.J. Abrams' "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in 2015 that we learned the dark truth. It seems the universe of "Star Wars" can't help but creep back slowly toward fascism with every generation. Decades after the fall of the Empire, the New Order rose in its place, now even more Nazi-like than ever. Stormtroopers were back,...

Zack Snyder has outperformed George Lucas in the aspect of directing his franchise, as he helmed both the first two Rebel Moon movies, while Lucas stepped away from directing after the first Star Wars film. Snyder's plans to create a "trilogy of sequels" for Rebel Moon aligns with Lucas directing four Star Wars movies before selling the rights to Disney, indicating that Snyder could potentially direct as many films in his franchise as Lucas did in Star Wars. By directing the first two Rebel Moon movies, Snyder has achieved the milestone of directing two films in his franchise much quicker than Lucas did with Star Wars, giving him a head start in matching Lucas's directing record.

Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire has drawn a lot of comparisons to George Lucas' original Star Wars trilogy, but Snyder has already outperformed his fellow director in one key area.

While the 2020s have been a verifiable graveyard for potential Star Wars films that never made it beyond the development stage, directors passing through without seeing their ideas come to fruition isn’t exactly a new phenomenon over at Lucasfilm.

Even before Disney took the reins of the studio, the galaxy far, far away saw a wide variety of potential directors enter its orbit over the years. From Return of the Jedi to the present day, there are quite a few well-known directors who came close to making their mark on this universe but for one reason or other never actually hit lightspeed.

Here are the many directors who almost made Star Wars movies…

David Lynch – Return of the Jedi

George Lucas offered several directors the opportunity to helm the final film of the Original Trilogy before settling on Richard Marquand. One of Lucas’ top choices at the time was David Lynch,...

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is a two-time Oscar winner and the first female director of a Star Wars film.

Having an iconic franchise in her hands thrills the filmmaker as she says it was “about time” a woman took the reigns of a project in the Star Wars universe.

“I’m very thrilled about the project because I feel what we’re about to create is something very special,” Obaid-Chinoy told CNN. “We’re in 2024 now, and it’s about time that we had a woman come forward to shape a story in a galaxy far, far away.”

George Lucas created Star Wars, with the first film released in 1977. Following Lucas, only male directors have helmed the franchise, like Irvin Kershner, Richard Marquand and J.J. Abrams. Standalone movies in the same universe have also been directed by men like Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Ron Howard’s Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Daisy Ridley’s Rey is coming back to the big screen in a new “Star Wars” movie directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (“Ms. Marvel”) and written by Steven Knight (“Peaky Blinders”). The film makes Obaid-Chinoy the first woman and first person of color to direct a “Star Wars” feature film. Previous film directors in the franchise include original creator George Lucas, Irvin Kershner (“Empire Strikes Back”), Richard Marquand (“Return of the Jedi”), J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson (“The Last Jedi”). While “Star Wars” television projects have featured female directors, most notably Deborah Chow, the movies have shut them out until now.

“I’m very thrilled about the project because I feel what we’re about to create is something very special,” Obaid-Chinoy recently told CNN. “We’re in 2024 now, and it’s about time that we had a woman come forward to shape a story in a galaxy far, far away.

BFI IMAX has announced an incredibly rare chance to experience ‘Star Wars: Episode IV – New Hope, ‘Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back’ and ‘Star Wars Episode Vi: Return Of The Jedi’ on the UK’s largest screen this December.

The special editions of these beloved films will play for an extremely limited time, with all three shown back-to-back on both Friday 29 and Saturday 30 December before they return to the vault indefinitely. Rarely shown in cinemas, this is an unmissable chance to see the sci-fi trilogy that changed the face of Hollywood on BFI IMAX’s 65-foot screen with 12-channel immersive sound. These must-see screenings of the original Star Wars trilogy mark the culmination of the four-month-long BFI IMAX sci-fi celebration, Sci-fIMAX: Into the Future, Now!

Tickets will be on sale here Now.

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The trilogy begins with...