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The Writer of ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ Is Making a Documentary About George Lucas

george lucas doco

Screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan is one busy dude. In addition to producing a remake of the 1992 film The Bodyguard, he is also working on a documentary series about Star Wars creator George Lucas and his visual effects company Industrial Light and Magic.

Kasdan and Lucas go way back, with the latter hiring the former to write the script for The Empire Strikes Back, after being impressed with his work on Raiders of the Lost Ark. Kasdan went on to write the script for 1983’s Return of the Jedi and shared screenwriting duties with J.J. Abrams for The Force Awakens. He also co-wrote Solo: A Star Wars Story alongside his son Jonathan Kasdan.

The Lucas doco project was revealed by composer James Newton Howard, who told Score: The Podcast that he had just wrapped working on a six-part documentary that Kasdan has been working on about the legendary filmmaker. No release date was given on the project or any details on how long Kasdan has been developing it.

There’s also no word yet, as to whether Lucas himself will be interviewed for the documentary — especially as he has basically retreated from public life since selling Lucasfilm to Disney. Not only that but he’s been fairly vocal in his criticism about the recent Star Wars films, including Kasdan’s The Force Awakens so who knows if he would be keen to appear in a documentary made by him.

Either way, fans will no doubt love the access into the intergalactic world Lucas created and the inner-workings of Industrial Light and Magic, which has been a leader in visual effects technology and brought us epic films such as Forest GumpTerminator 2: Judgement DayJurassic Park, and many more.

Lucas has been the subject of a documentary before, appearing via archival footage in the comedic 2021 film The People vs. George Lucas which explores the explores the issues of filmmaking and fanaticism around both Star Wars and its creator.

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