Irvin Kershner, director of Star Wars film The Empire Strikes Back, has died in Los Angeles aged 87, his goddaughter has told the AFP news agency. According to Adriana Santini, Kershner - who also directed Sir Sean Connery in 1983 Bond film Never Say Never Again - died at home after a long illness. Born in Philadelphia in 1923, Kershner trained as a musician before making documentaries and then features. His other credits include Robocop 2 and Eyes of Laura Mars with Faye Dunaway. Known as "Kersh", the director previously worked with Connery on 1996 romantic drama A Fine Madness. He also directed Barbra Streisand in 1972 comedy Up the Sandbox and Richard Harris in 1976 sequel The Return of a Man Called Horse. Yet he remains best known for The Empire Strikes Back, considered by many to be the best film in the Star Wars series. "I think it went beyond Star Wars," he once said. "You had some humour [and] you got to know the characters a little better. I saw it as the second movement in an opera." Source |