Howard G. Kazanjian, previously the Vice President of Lucasfilm Ltd., also held the role of producer for the movie Return of the Jedi. In addition, Kazanjian produced for George Lucas on Raiders of the Lost Ark, and he was an uncredited producer for The Empire Strikes Back.
Alongside George Lucas, Howard Kazanjian was a student at the University of Southern California. Their bond extended beyond being cinema fraternity brothers in Delta Kappa Alpha, evolving into a lasting friendship. During their time in college, both Kazanjian and Lucas encountered the women who would become their wives, often going on double dates together. Kazanjian proceeded to collaborate with distinguished filmmakers including Alfred Hitchcock, Elia Kazan, Sam Peckinpah, and Robert Wise.
Following the release of Lucas' initial Star Wars movie in 1977, which led to the establishment of Lucasfilm, Kazanjian played a key role in the company's practical and strategic operations on a day-to-day basis, serving as its Vice President of Production until approximately 1984 or 1985. As Lucas had resigned from the Directors Guild of America because of a dispute over the opening titles of Star Wars and did not want to direct again, he needed to find film directors outside the established Hollywood system for the remainder of the original trilogy. This effectively excluded most American directors, including friends of Lucas such as Steven Spielberg. Lucas then asked Irvin Kershner to direct The Empire Strikes Back, and later David Lynch and David Cronenberg for Return of the Jedi.
Cronenberg turned down the offer, and Lynch accepted the position for a single day. However, he left the project after realizing he struggled to comprehend the narrative and suggested that Lucas should direct the film himself. Kazanjian remembered that Lynch did not want to include either John Williams or Ben Burtt for the music and sound design if he were the director; Lynch's focus shifted towards his film Dune, which was eventually produced and released in 1984. Despite Lynch being his initial choice, Lucas ultimately hired his second choice, Richard Marquand, to helm Return of the Jedi, with Kazanjian acting as the producer.
- Howard G. Kazanjian on Wikipedia
- Howard G. Kazanjian at the Internet Movie Database
- Star Wars Aficionado Interview - Howard Kazanjian: Master and Commander ( PDF ) on Star Wars Aficionado (content now obsolete; archived from the original on August 4, 2012)
- Howard Kazanjian (Producer) on Star Wars Interviews (content now obsolete; archived from the original on January 15, 2023)