Steven Spielberg had a great run in the 80s and 90s churning out blockbusters while also venturing into compelling dramas. He entertained audiences with the Indiana Jones franchise that has since become a significant part of pop culture and also made audiences cry with emotionally driven films such as Empire of the Sun and The Color Purple.
The 90s saw some of the best works from the director and Spielberg managed to churn out two of the best films of the 90s in the same year Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List (both 1993). Star Wars creator George Lucas was instrumental in making that possible but when it came to Lucas needing help from Spielberg, the maverick turned it down for a very logical reason.
Steven Spielberg Turned Down the Offer to Direct One of the Star Wars Prequel Films
George Lucas wowed everyone with the original Star Wars trilogy and pushed the benchmarks for blockbuster filmmaking. Audiences had not seen something as bold, expansive, and exciting as the world of Star Wars. The trilogy is considered one of the best in cinematic history and topping that was going to be next to impossible.
As Lucas was planning the prequel trilogy, he wanted A-list directors to helm the films. As revealed by director Ron Howard in an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused Podcast, Lucas had already approached Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg to direct two of the films. Lucas had helped the latter in mixing Jurassic Park while he was off shooting Schindler’s List (as told by Spielberg to The Hollywood Reporter).
However, all three knew the unprecedented amount of responsibility of carrying on the legacy of the franchise. All of the directors turned down the opportunity and told Lucas that only he could do justice to the films and he should be the one helming them. Howard said,
He didn’t necessarily want to direct them. He told me he had talked to Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg, and me. I was the third one he spoke to. They all said the same thing: ‘George, you should do it’ I don’t think anybody wanted to follow up that act at the time. It was an honor, but it would’ve been too daunting.
One would have thought that Spielberg should have returned the favor by directing one of the prequels. However, out of respect for Lucas, he turned down the offer as he did not want to tarnish the iconic reputation of the franchise by messing it up. The directors were afraid of that and thus deemed that the original creator himself should be the one calling the shots.
Steven Spielberg Originally Had Another Actor in Mind For Indiana Jones
After 5 films, no one can see any other actor playing Indiana Jones other than Harrison Ford. The actor has become synonymous with the role and it is probably the most recognizable role in his career. However, the actor was not the first choice for the role. Actor Tom Selleck revealed to CBS News that director Steven Spielberg had initially approached him for the role.
Selleck stated that Spielberg had given him the script of the film (Raiders of the Lost Ark) and the actor resonated with the story and the character. However, he ended up not playing the part. While he initially regretted passing on the role, he made peace with it and went on to do other great things in his career. Selleck said,
Steven [Spielberg] said, ‘Here’s the script. Go read it. Tell me if you like it. Cause we want you for ‘Indiana Jones’. So I got to about page 8 in Steven’s office and I just went ‘Oh, this is really good.’…You can make yourself a victim or just smile and say, ‘That’s really ironic.’
Selleck went on to star as Thomas Magnum in the acclaimed series Magnum P.I in the 80s which became his most popular role. He played the character for 8 seasons. Ford ended his tenure as Indiana Jones last year on a dismal note with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
Fans can watch George Lucas’ Star Wars prequel films on Disney+
