2. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1984)
Directed By... Richard Marquand
Secretly Directed By... George Lucas Did you ever wonder why you hadn't heard of Richard Marquand outside of his directing gig for
Star Wars: Episode V - The Return of the Jedi? It's presumably because he wasn't hired for his talents as a director of visionary proportions, but as somebody who was technically proficient and could be easily ordered around by - yes, you guessed it - our man George Lucas. Exactly the kind of guy who would take orders and consider himself lucky. Evidence suggests this is so, given that Lucas once rallied with the Director's Guild to get his name added. That's to say, it probably went a little bit like this on
Empire, too, given that George Lucas hired better-known-than-Marquand director Irvin Kershner to do his bidding for the second installment (and who could take the heat if it went wrong). The success of that film might well be attributed in equal measure to both Kershner and Lucas, though, given that many of Kershner's trademarks are clearly imbued on the final picture. Marquand also didn't get on well with the actors in
Jedi, apparently, and others were forced in to collaborate on his behalf.