We're sorry to return from our holiday hiatus with some bad news, but Agence France-Presse is reporting that Irvin Kershner, the director of the fan-favorite Star Wars movie "The Empire Strikes Back" has passed away at the age of 87.
Kershner was sought out by Lucas to direct "Empire" because (in Lucas' words) "Well, because you know everything a Hollywood director is supposed to know, but you're not Hollywood." Lucas wanted "Empire" to focus more on character development and he felt Kershner was a good candidate to direct. Kershner originally declined but was persuaded by his agent to take the job. Kershner was also one of George Lucas' instructors at USC. The cast and crew of "Empire" have stated in interviews that they particularly enjoyed working with Kershner, describing him as a supportive and helpful director.
Apart from "Empire," Kershner also directed "Robocop 2," "Never Say Never Again," and the TV drama "Raid on Entebbe." Kershner was influenced as a director by Akira Kurosawa, who was also George Lucas' favorite director.
An in-depth coversation with Kershner can be found at StarWars.com.
