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Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are the Hollywood duo who have had a significant cultural impact with their creative partnership on franchises likeIndiana Jones.After the 1981 filmRaiders 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.
Lucas had stepped away from the director’s chair afterEpisode 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 DirectEpisode VI – Return of the Jedi
Following their successful collaboration onIndiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark,Star Wars: Episode VIseemed like an ideal project for George Lucas andSteven Spielbergto continue their highly lucrative partnership.
However, the Oscar-winning filmmaker never got the opportunity to helm aStar Wars project. While the certain reasons why the duo couldn’t work onReturn on the Jediremain unclear, there have been numerous specualtions and rumors surrounding the potential collaboration that fell apart.
Reportssuggest that Spielberg was among some of the top names Lucas considered to directEpisode VI.However, their involvement with the Directors Guild of America obstructed what could have been a Spielberg-directedStar Warsfilm.
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Rumors suggestthat the DGA wanted Lucas to abide by the traditional opening credits for the 1977 filmA New Hope.However, the filmmaker had a different vision for his movies and decided to pay the required fine and resign from the association.
This reportedly raised issues with Lucas finding directors for the subsequent sequels forEpisode I.It also became a point of contention when Lucas expressed his desire for his friend and theJawsdirector to directReturn of the Jedi, as Spielberg was still a member of DGI.
And the Directors Guild of America did not allow its members to work on the franchise. Richard Marquand, whoreportedlywas not associated with the Directors Guild of America, was eventually hired as the director ofReturn of the Jedi.
Steven Spielberg Had Expressed A Desire to Direct aStar WarsFilm
While their potential collaboration failed to materialize forReturn of the Jedi,Steven Spielberg has shared that he did want to direct aStar Warsmovie.But by that time,George Lucashad changed his mind and had decided to helm the epic space opera himself.
In a 2002 interview, theIndiana Jonesdirector reportedly shared that despite pursuing Lucas with the idea, he denied him from directing a film in the galactic saga.“I’ve asked [Lucas]. He won’t let me do one,”he said, as perThe Guardian.
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I wanted to do one 15 years ago, and he didn’t want me to do it. I understand why – Star Wars is George’s baby. It’s his cottage industry and it’s his fingerprints. He knows I’ve got Jurassic Park and Raiders. But George has Star Wars and I don’t think he feels inclined to share any of it with me.
After Lucas stepped down from the franchise and Disney took over to continue the Skywalker Saga withThe Force Awakens, Spielberg once again found himself in discussions of directingEpisode VII.However, he denied any such possibility, saying,“No! No! It’s not my genre. It’s my best friend George’s genre,”ruling himself out as the director for any future project in the franchise.
Episode VI – Return of the Jediis available to stream on Disney+.
Laxmi Rajput
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3448
Laxmi Rajput is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, with over 3,300 articles published covering film, TV, and pop culture. With a degree in Broadcast Journalism and over three years of experience in content writing, she pivoted to entertainment journalism because let’s be honest, superheroes, sitcoms, and Netflix binges are way more fun. Laxmi frequently covers Marvel, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and popular TV shows, offering both fan-first enthusiasm and thoughtful analysis. Her work often dives into Marvel theories, revisits the genius of The Big Bang Theory, or unpacks the Netflix phenomenon of Stranger Things.
