Page 57 - Star Wars Insider (Special Edition 2020)

tar Wars Insider: How did you It turned out to be a wonderful experience George came to me and asked me to write
get involved in Star Wars? working with George and Irvin Kershner, Return of the Jedi, which became my
Lawrence Kasdan: I first met who was the director of The Empire Strikes second Star Wars movie, directed by

SGeorge Lucas in 1977. I had sold Back. We did it in six weeks. They were Richard Marquand.
a screenplay to Steven Spielberg. Steven already building sets in England, so there
and George decided, based on that was no time to waste. George had a story How did you first meet Kathleen Kennedy?

screenplay, that they wanted me to write and I wrote the screenplay. When that was After Steven Spielberg bought my
Raiders of the Lost Ark. I was thrilled to do over, I went back to my original intention, original screenplay, Continental Divide,
that. I was brand-new in the business and it which was to become a movie director. he introduced me to George Lucas. We

was an amazing film to get for your first job. I met Alan Ladd, Jr., who was running were all going to do Raiders of the Lost

When I was finished with it, I took it up to 20th Century Fox and releasing the Star Ark together. I had no place to work on

Marin County to deliver it by hand to George Wars movies. He was offering me jobs to the screenplay, so I worked in Steven’s
Lucas. He threw it on the desk, and said, write, and I told him I didn’t want to write; office while he was off directing 1941. So,

“C’mon, let’s go to lunch.” When we went I wanted to direct. He asked what I wanted I wrote Raiders of the Lost Ark at Steven
to lunch, he said he was in trouble with The to direct, and I told him the story of Body Spielberg’s desk and, true to his word, he
Empire Strikes Back because Leigh Brackett, Heat, which became my first film. After it barely showed up those six months. Kathy

who was working on it, had passed away. was written, Ladd said he would make it, Kennedy was Steven’s assistant at that
The draft was nothing like what George but he asked that I get someone to look time, in 1977, and she really had not been
needed or wanted. He asked me to write over my shoulder as I was a first-time there very long. She was in and out a good

The Empire Strikes Back. I was concerned director. I went to George Lucas and asked bit between the set and the office, but we
because he hadn’t read Raiders of the Lost him to do it, and he agreed. George was became friends. So we’ve had a long, good
Ark, but he said he would read it that evening very generous with me and so supportive friendship. We have vacation homes near
and if he didn’t like it, he would retract the in many ways. each other, and we’ve been through a lot,
offer. He read it, and I began working on After Body Heat I moved on to my next with a lot of movies under the bridge. We
The Empire Strikes Back several days later. movie, which was The Big Chill. Then haven’t worked like this for a long, long

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