10 Directors Who Turned Down Star Wars Movies

David Cronenberg began his time at the University of Toronto as a science student before deciding to switch to film, though his interest in the scientific became a part of his cinematic style. After graduating, Cronenberg spent the late '60s and early '70s creating films independently, eventually making his mark with Shivers in 1975.

The film (which was originally titled Orgy Of The Blood Parasites) was panned at home in Canada but brought Cronenberg attention in the US thanks to a positive review from late film legend Roger Ebert. The Ontario-native went on to blend sci-fi and horror in a uniquely abstract manner over the next few years, landing him on George Lucas' radar, as Cronenberg himself revealed years later:

"I got a phone call once asking if I was interested in directing one of the Star Wars sequels, and instead of saying 'Oh my God, yes!' I said, 'Well, you know, I don't really do other people's material.' Click. I don't know how far it would have gone, but it ended there."

Cronenberg is thought to have been offered the chance to helm Episode IV but decided to press ahead with Videodrome, a typically Lynchian sci-fi horror released in the same year as Return Of The Jedi that went on to find cult status in its own right.