Irvin Kershner, 87, who directed the “Star Wars” sequel “The Empire Strikes Back” and the James Bond film “Never Say Never Again,” has died at age 87.
Kershner died Saturday at his Los Angeles home after a 3 1/2-year battle with lung cancer, said longtime friend and Hollywood publicist Dick Guttman.
Kershner already had made a number of well-received movies when he was hired by George Lucas to direct “Empire.” The 1980 film was a darker story than the original. In it, hero Luke Skywalker loses a hand and learns that villain Darth Vader is his father. The movie at first got mixed reviews but has gone on to be one of the most critically praised.
Kershner told Vanity Fair in October that he tried to give the sequel more depth than the original.
“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,” he 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.”
Lucas said in a statement: “The world has lost a great director and one of the most genuine people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing.” He added that he considered Kersh ner to be a mentor.
The Philadelphia-born Kershner also directed a number of noted features in the 1960s and 1970s, including “A Fine Madness” with Sean Connery, Joanne Woodward and Jean Seberg; “The Flim-Flam Man” with George C. Scott; and “Loving” with George Segal and Eva Marie Saint. The Associated Press
