Star Wars: 20 Things You Didn't Know About Return Of The Jedi
19. Steven Spielberg, David Lynch & David Cronenberg Were Considered To Direct
A number of directors were in contention to direct the film, most notably Lucas' pal Steven Spielberg, who ultimately declined due to his membership in the Directors Guild of America, an organisation Lucas dropped out of due to disagreements on The Empire Strikes Back.
Two far-less conventional auteurs were also in the mix - David Lynch was offered the directing gig but turned it down because he felt it belonged to Lucas, choosing instead to direct his ill-fated adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune the next year.
David Cronenberg was also offered the job, but knowing his genre predilections, he turned it down instead for Videodrome and The Dead Zone, both of which he made that same year.
In the end, Lucas deferred to Welsh filmmaker Richard Marquand, an at-the-time non-union director who Lucas felt would be a safe pair of hands to bring the project in on time and budget.