Why David Lynch Turned Down Directing 'Star Wars: Return of the Jedi'

One of Hollywood's greatest directors almost helmed Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Known for experimental movies such as Eraserhead and Mulholland Drive, David Lynch was offered a job many directors would've killed for, and turned it down.

Lynch is a great storyteller, so it's not really a surprise that George Lucas would approach him to create his movie. But apparently, Lynch thought it was out of his depth and passed. The filmmaker described the situation in his book Lynch on Lynch, writing:

"I went to meet George Lucas, who had offered me the third Star Wars to direct, and I’ve never even really liked science fiction. I like elements of it, but it needs to be combined with other genres. And, obviously, Star Wars was totally George’s thing."

The famed director has gone on to speak of his meeting with Lucas in greater detail, explaining he immediately got a headache as a result of the Star Wars creator's vision.

In the end, both parties seemed satisfied with the outcome, however. Return of the Jedi was released in 1983, directed by the late Richard Marquand, and fans still regard it as one of the best Star Wars films in the series.

h/t:[SlashFilm.com]