Irvin Kershner - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Kershner is best known as the director of The Empire Strikes Back (1980), the immediate sequel of Star Wars. Kershner was a surprising choice for such a movie; according to him, when he asked producer George Lucas:

"Of all the younger guys around, all the hot-shots, why me?"

Lucas replied, "Well, because you know everything a Hollywood director is supposed to know, but you're not Hollywood."

Kershner, who was an appealing directorial candidate to Lucas because of his focus on character development, was reluctant to direct the film. When asked by Lucas to work on the project over lunch, Kershner refused. Kershner's agent was told about the meeting and encouraged him to take the job. Of his cinematic style, Kershner has said, "I like to fill up the frame with the characters' faces. There's nothing more interesting than the landscape of the human face."