History Creator / LawrenceKasdan

His sons, Jake and Jonathan Kasdan, are filmmakers in their own right.

[[quoteright:325:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kasdan_1486.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:325:Lawrence Kasdan, circa 2003]]

* ''Film/TheBodyguard'' (1992) (writer)

Lawrence Edward Kasdan (born January 14, 1949) is a well-known American film director and screenwriter.

Raised in West Virginia, and educated at the University of Michigan, Kasdan originally trained to be a teacher, but when he couldn’t get hired as such, he became an advertising copywriter in Detroit. He hated the job, but it didn’t affect his performance as the Clio Award he won indicates.

Lawrence Edward Kasdan (born January 14, 1949) is a well-known film screenwriter and director.

He originally trained to be a teacher, but when he couldn’t get hired as such, he became an advertising copywriter. He hated the job, but it didn’t affect his performance as the Clio Award he won indicates.

He finally moved to Hollywood and finally got into movies when his script for ''Film/TheBodyguard'' was finally bought after 36 rejections. It remained in DevelopmentHell until 1992, when it was made into a very successful vehicle for Music/WhitneyHouston and Creator/KevinCostner.

* ''Wyatt Earp'' (1994) (co-writer and director)

* ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' (1980) (screenplay co-writer)

* ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' (1983) (screenplay co-writer)

* ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' (2015) (co-writer)
* ''Film/{{Solo}}'' (2018) (co-writer)

Lawrence Kasdan is a well-known film screenwriter and director.

* [[Film/HanSoloFilm Untitled Han Solo Spinoff]] (2018) (co-writer)

Lawrence Kasdan is a well known film screenwriter and director.

He originally trained to be a teacher, but when he couldn't get any teaching post, he became an advertising copywriter. He hated the job, but it didn't affect his performance as the Clio Award he won indicates.

Finally moved to Hollywood and finally got into the movie writing business when his script for ''Film/TheBodyguard'' was finally bought after 36 refusals and remained in DevelopmentHell until 1992 when Music/WhitneyHouston and Creator/KevinCostner starred in it.

However, he got his big break when he sold his script for ''Continental Divide'' to Creator/StevenSpielberg, which drew the attention of Creator/GeorgeLucas who commissioned him to write the screenplay for ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'' and then later on to finish the screenplay for ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' and write the one for ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''. His impact on the films was immense if only that it replaced Lucas' clunky dialogue for smoothly believable, even poetic when called for, lines for the actors to speak. Basically if the best lines spoken weren't [[ThrowItIn improvised by the actors]], then it was Kasdan's doing.

Here's an example of Kasdan's talent at work with one of Yoda's most profound lines:
--> * Lucas's version: “Not material are we. Luminous beings are we, tied together by the Force. Yes. There are two of you… your body and your energy.”
--> * Kasdan's version: “Luminous beings are we [pinches Luke's skin], not this crude matter.”

Nowadays, his stature as a big part of the talent that made ''StarWars'' so great has grown so much that just the news of him writing the upcoming Episode VII was a moment of celebration with the fandom.

* ''Film/{{Dreamcatcher}}'' (2003) (screenplay co-adapter and director)

However, he got his big break when he sold his script for ''Continental Divide'' to Creator/StevenSpielberg, which drew the attention of Creator/GeorgeLucas who commissioned him to write the screenplay for ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'' and then later on to finish the screenplay for ''TheEmpireStrikesBack'' and write the one for ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''. His impact on the films was immense if only that it replaced Lucas' clunky dialogue for smoothly believable, even poetic when called for, lines for the actors to speak. Basically if the best lines spoken weren't [[ThrowItIn improvised by the actors]], then it was Kasdan's doing.