Alternative3

There is a magazine named Shock Cinema that has a interview with Kershner. He said some interesting things his SF films.

One thing was that he confirmed what I always thought about RoboCop 2, studio interference hurt that film.

But the most interesting things were about Star Wars, first he said when he agreed to do Empire, he asked George to just leave him alone and direct. He said George did that. Then he was asked about Return of the Jedi. He claims that Richard Marquand did not direct the film! He said Lucas and an assistant director did the film. The actors did not want to work with Marquand and that Lucas and Marquand did not get along.

Somehow I don't think that stuff will be talked about on the upcoming DVD documentaries.

One thing that bothered me about Jedi was how lifeless and bored Hamil, Ford and Fisher looked in that film. Especially Ford, he looked like he did not want to be there. This interview may explain that.

bboisvert

This stuff is covered in pretty decent detail in the various Lucas biographies out there. Basically, he was very "hands off" on ESB, leaving just about everything to Kershner and Kurtz.

Ultimately, Lucas was unhappy with the final product. Both the film itself -- he was upset that there wasn't time to 'fix' it before release; and the fact that it went over budget and forced Lucas to ask for more money, renegotiate deals, etc.

For Jedi, he fired Kurtz and got a figurehead director. Marquand 'directed' the film, but Lucas was the one pulling the strings. The fact that Jedi most clearly resembles the prequels (muppets in every frame, lots of FX, storyline as an afterthought) just makes that even clearer.

Michael Corvin

Well Ford can be explained. Legend has it that he never wanted to do a third. That is where the carbon freeze came about. Then the studio forced him to fulfill his contract for all three so they unfroze him.

But intersting about directing Jedi. Very interesting. That would be one of the best kept hollywood secrets for the past 20 years.

Groucho

Interesting that Lucas would take a "hands off" approach that resulted in what most consider the best film in the series. Interesting comments.

bboisvert

Except that it has been published in books before. See "Building Empires", etc.

Eplicon

Lucas was also quite wary about the artisitic liberties that Kershner took in TESB. It's sort of mentioned in "The Annotated Screenplays" book, where Kershner mentioned his input and how Lucas was reluctant to have that in the movie. The most famous example was Ford's ad-libbed line of "I know" when Leia expresses her love for him. Lucas didn't want that in there at all.

As for Ford, I know that he really wanted Han Solo to die in the third film.

Alternative3

That is interesting, I have not read that book. This interview I referred to was the first time I ever heard of any problems with Marquand. Guess I will have to seek that book out.

It is really gonna be interesting to see the docu's on Jedi, I am curious to see if they will be truthful or paint a pretty picture of the filming of the movie.

scott shelton

Well, Marquand is dead, so it's up to Lucas to be honest about the experience.

PixyJunket

I was always curious why they had other directors do ESB and ROTJ.. anybody more knowledgeable in Star Wars care to fill me in?

Eplicon

Lucas was too burned out after the experience of directing Star Wars and vowed never to direct again.

Numanoid

That's one vow which should have been honored.

Rogue588

Quote:

Originally posted by Numanoid
That's one vow which should have been honored.

Amen.

bboisvert

And then he was financially burned based on the situation when ESB went over budget, so he decided to build up his own companies so that he'd never deal with that again. (And, I must say, he did a pretty damn good job of it.)

That's the main reason the prequels are entirely self-financed.

Duder

It's a shame he didn't work with a co-director or have a really good co-writer for the prequel movies. Star Wars was its best when it was a collaborative project, but somehow people (including Lucas) seem to have forgotten that. Now we know that too much Lucas is a bad thing.

clappj

That's exactly what immediately came to my mind also, when I first read the initial post.

Shannon Nutt

Oh, if he would have only kept that vow.

BTW, the Ford dissatisfaction with ROTJ is well-documented. Harrison BEGGED Lucas to kill off his character - just to give Han something to DO in the movie. Lucas refused...most likely because he was still planning a 9-movie series at that point with the descendants of Han & Leia for Episodes 7, 8 & 9.

Alternative3

I heard a rumour that David Lynch was offered Jedi. One can only imagine what that would have been like if he were interested.

If he did do it I know he wouldn't do a Eraserhead on it , but if he had the freedom. Just imagine..

Dennis Hopper does the voice of Jabba.
Leia's slavery to Jabba takes on a whole new meaning.

Imagine the dream sequences...

Ewoks, Wookies and Jabba oh my!

ckolchak

in the new doc Easy Riders Raging Bulls, John Millius talks a bit about GL and comments that he never enjoyed the process of directing- partly because the different environments he would be forced to inhabit.
he has diabetes for one thing- climate control is apparently another very big deal for him.

it seems that his impulse to get to the point where he could film an entire movie on a bluescreen set, came about more for his own level of comfort than for asthetic or financial reasons.

as for any plans he might have had for Eps 7,8, or 9- it's pretty obvious with the lazy , indifferent ploting of ROTJ (which is mostly just re-hashed concepts from the first two films stitched together with the most inane plot resolutions imaginable..."sister" anyone?)- that GL just wanted to wipe his hands of this franchise after ROTJ.

interviews with Kurtz talk about the original ideas they hashed out for the 'whole' saga- including what were to be eps 7,8, 9.
originally- surprise- Leia was NOT lukes sister. he did have a sister who was on the other side of the universe and wouldn't have been revealed until the next trilogy.
the resolution of ROTJ only involved the death of Vader- the Emperor was the 'big bad' who would see his ultimate demise in ep9.
in the original story for ROTJ, Han was supposed to die and Leia was to be named Queen, and Luke was to go off on his own.
it was to have been a very bittersweet, non-banal Disneyesque, ending.

for more info on this track down the IGN interview with Kurtz or consult the annotated screenplays book.

Rivero

lol. Queen of what?? All her people are DEAD!!

Lucas is an asshat.

jekbrown

considering that ESB is by FAR the best star wars film, I think this is pretty funny. lol!!

IMO, ESB is the best film ever made that takes place in space. It not winning the Oscar for best picture was a joke.

j

QuiGonJosh

ROTJ and the Prequels are great to those who actually pay attention...

FinkPish

Uh, ESB was never nominated for Best Picture that year. Or was that your point? The original Star Wars was, however, which lost to Annie Hall.

Fincher Fan

Lucas did have a co-writer for Attack of the Clowns. Jonathan Hales. Not that it did the movie much good...

Supermallet

It's odd that Lucas would go to Lynch if he were truly looking for a director in name only. Certainly he would know that of all people, David Lynch would not allow himself to be sidelined.

Lynch turned down the movie saying that he knew that if he did it, it would not be his film.

Dr. DVD

Interesting.