'Star Wars' sequel director Irvin Kershner dead at 87

'Star Wars' sequel director Irvin Kershner dead at 87

2010-11-30 06:02:17 GMT+7 (ICT)

LOS ANGELES (BNO NEWS) -- Irvin Kershner, the director of the 'Star Wars' sequel "The Empire Strikes Back" died in Los Angeles on Saturday, according to his agent on Monday.

Kershner, a Philadelphia native, died in Los Angeles after battling with a long illness. His agent Derek Maki confirmed his death on Monday. He is survived by his two sons.

Kershner directed many well-received movies, including the James Bond film "Never Say Never" and "Robocop 2." However, he will be remembered for directing one of the most acclaimed films in the Star Wars series, "The Empire Strikes Back."

The film was the second of the series and the fifth in the Star Wars chronology. George Lucas hired him for directing the most dark story in the series, which was filmed in 1980. The film is mostly remembered as the hero, Luke Skywalker, learns that his nemesis Darth Vader is in fact his long-lost father.

"When I finally accepted the assignment, I knew that it was going to be a dark film, with more depth to the characters than in the first film," Kershner once said. "It took a few years for the critics to catch up with the film and to see it as a fairy tale rather than a comic book."

Kershner was a surprising choice for the film as the previous one, "Star Wars: A New Hope", was seen as a groundbreaking film and many acclaimed and well-known directors were expected to direct the immediate sequel.

In the beginning, Kershner declined the offer from Lucas but his agent was able to persuade him. Lucas told him that he selected him for his focus on character development and his cinematic style that emphasized the character’s faces.

Kershner was initially a freelance illustrator and graduated from the University of Southern California film school. In the 1950s, he made U.S. government informational films in Greece, Turkey and the Middle East.

At the time of his death, Kershner was working on still photography and two film projects. He was also a faculty member at the Master of Professional Writing Program at USC.

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