Steven Spielberg

In 1980, Spielberg directed Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), which Lucas executive produced. The pair went on to work together to produce and create the stories for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008).

Biography

Spielberg was indirectly involved with aspects of production of (then titled simply Star Wars). Spielberg introduced Lucas to John Williams, who would go on to create the musical score for many of their films. Spielberg attended and enjoyed an early screening of the film. Lucas and Spielberg agreed to exchange shares in the profits of one another's films: Spielberg got a small percentage of the profits of Star Wars, while Lucas would get a similar share of the profits of Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Spielberg continues to make money from the film.

During the animatic stage of of Revenge of the Sith, Lucas invited Spielberg to "play with" a bit of the Mustafar duel, and Yoda's duel with the Emperor, along with a couple of others, according to The Making of Star Wars Revenge of the Sith. According to the Star Wars Blu-ray release, Spielberg oversaw the animatic of an extended chase scene between Grievous and Obi-Wan on Utapau.

Being friends for years, Spielberg and Lucas have often traded references to each other's previous works in their films. For example, Indiana Jones is seen fleeing a nightclub named "Club Obi-Wan" in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. In Spielberg's film, E. T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Elliot showed some action figures, including Greedo, Hammerhead, Walrusman, Snaggletooth, Lando Calrissian, and Boba Fett, to the alien of the film's title; later, E.T. met a child dressed as Yoda, whom he thinks is another alien, on the street during Halloween. In The Phantom Menace, several members of E.T.'s species were visible in one of the floating pods in the Senate room, and Senator Grebleips was named for Spielberg. Steven Spielberg made more films, like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Jaws, and The Adventures of Tintin.

In January, 2001, Kennedy was made an honorary Knight of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the United Kingdom's film industry.

Sources

Appearances