Film producing legend Gary Kurtz has died 78.

The Kurtz/Joiner Archive has confirmed that he passed away on September 23rd after living with cancer for a year. Before military service, he had many roles on movies such as Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet; returning from Vietnam, he continued in the business, meeting George Lucas through Francis Ford Coppola in 1971. His interest in religion led to the development of the concept of “the Force” in the Star Wars films, and he was second unit director on the original movie as well as producer.

He produced The Empire Strikes Back but stepped away from Return of the Jedi and instead worked with Jim Henson on The Dark Crystal, and then Walter Murch on Return to Oz.

A full obituary can be read on Kurtz’s Facebook page, here

 

 

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