Veteran U.S film producer Gary Kurtz, producer of movies including Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and America Graffiti, has died in London aged 78.
Kurtz passed away yesterday, Sunday September 23, after a year-long battle with cancer.
Starting as an assistant director on Montel Hellman’s western Ride in the Whirlwind, starring Jack Nicholson, he also worked on Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet and Dennis Hopper’s Queen of Blood. After military service, he was an associate picture on Chandler and Two-Lane Backdrop before meeting George Lucas in 1971. He co-produced American Graffiti, before making a deal with 20th Century Fox to produce Star Wars; he set up the second unit and directed many pick ups, including most of the cockpit dog fight scenes, as well as the special effects.
The UK-based Kurtz then worked on Empire Strikes Back, his last collaboration with Lucas. He helped to direct alongside Irvin Kershner.
Kurtz passed away yesterday, Sunday September 23, after a year-long battle with cancer.
Starting as an assistant director on Montel Hellman’s western Ride in the Whirlwind, starring Jack Nicholson, he also worked on Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet and Dennis Hopper’s Queen of Blood. After military service, he was an associate picture on Chandler and Two-Lane Backdrop before meeting George Lucas in 1971. He co-produced American Graffiti, before making a deal with 20th Century Fox to produce Star Wars; he set up the second unit and directed many pick ups, including most of the cockpit dog fight scenes, as well as the special effects.
The UK-based Kurtz then worked on Empire Strikes Back, his last collaboration with Lucas. He helped to direct alongside Irvin Kershner.
- 9/24/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman and Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Similar News
Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ Nears French Distribution Deal With Indie Banner Le Pacte
- 4/23/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
2024 Cannes Film Festival Lineup Revealed: Oliver Stone Joins Paul Schrader, Andrea Arnold, and David Cronenberg
- 4/22/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
“They are not better..they are basically a copy”: Die-Hard Star Wars Fans Are Not Impressed With Zack Snyder’s Lightsaber Inspired Weapon
- 4/22/2024
- by Mahin Sultan
- FandomWire
Kathleen Kennedy Says that Recasting Roles Is a Bad Move
- 4/23/2024
- by Arthur S. Poe
- Fiction Horizon
Star Wars Boss Kathleen Kennedy Is Not as Woke as You Think, Reports Say
- 4/20/2024
- by Valentina Kraljik
- Comic Basics
General Veers Actor Julian Glover Got His Star Wars Part Through Luck
- 4/20/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
50 Years Ago, Jack Nicholson Rejected a Role in the Best Movie Ever Made (For a Very Modern Reason)
- 4/21/2024
- by benjamin-patel@startefacts.com (Benjamin Patel)
- STartefacts.com
One Jack Nicholson Villain From a 1987 Film Heavily Inspired Christian Slater’s Evil Role in The Spiderwick Chronicles
- 4/21/2024
- by Ariane Cruz
- FandomWire
‘No Engine Inside’: Why Stephen King Downright Hates Kubrick’s All-Time Horror Gem
- 4/21/2024
- by info@startefacts.com (Rachel Bailey)
- STartefacts.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.
More to explore
‘Wednesday’ Season 2 Casts Thandiwe Newton (Exclusive)
- 4/23/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety - TV News
Terry Carter, ‘Battlestar Galactica’ and ‘McCloud’ Actor, Dies at 95
- 4/23/2024
- by Lexi Carson
- Variety - Film News
‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ Trailer: Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds Fight to the F—ing Death in Raunchy MCU Debut
- 4/22/2024
- by Diego Ramos Bechara
- Variety - Film News
Netflix to Present Sneak Peek of New Wallace & Gromit, Zack Snyder’s ‘Twilight of the Gods’ at Annecy
- 4/22/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘Lord of the Rings’ Owner Embracer to Separate Into Three Standalone Publicly Listed Entities
- 4/22/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran and K.J. Yossman
- Variety - Film News
Meg Bennett, Soap Opera Actress and Writer, Dies at 75
- 4/21/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chuwi Is the Voice of a New Puerto Rican Generation
- 4/23/2024
- by Juan Arroyo
- Popsugar.com
Camila Mendes on Why We Need More Latine Representation in Rom-Coms
- 4/22/2024
- by Brenda Barrientos
- Popsugar.com
Saraciea Fennell: "The Black Girl Survives in This One" Is the Representation I Didn't See in Horror Books
- 4/22/2024
- by Saraciea Fennell
- Popsugar.com
Tell Me Más: Bodine Talks New Album "Quemo Lento" and Growing From Hardships
- 4/22/2024
- by Juan Arroyo
- Popsugar.com
Stephen Colbert Once Laughed So Hard at ‘Tropic Thunder’ His Wife Thought He Was Dying
- 4/24/2024
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
The 10 Best Teen Rebellion Films: ‘Pump Up the Volume,’ ‘Heathers,’ and More
- 4/23/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Tarantino’s ‘The Movie Critic’ Could Have Included Olivia Wilde & David Krumholtz, But Probably Not Tom Cruise
- 4/23/2024
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
2 Crew Members Hospitalized in Accident on Set of Eddie Murphy Film ‘The Pickup’ for Amazon MGM
- 4/23/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Jerry Seinfeld Calls ‘Mad Men’ Finale the ‘Greatest Final Moment of a Series I’ve Ever Seen’
- 4/23/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson and Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ Trailer: Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds Fight to the F—ing Death in Raunchy MCU Debut
- 4/22/2024
- by Diego Ramos Bechara
- Variety - Film News
Palestinian director Elia Suleiman to receive Sarajevo 2024 honorary award
- 4/24/2024
- ScreenDaily
2024 film festivals and markets calendar: latest dates
- 4/24/2024
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Quintessentially Irish review – Pierce Brosnan weighs in on scattergun study of Irishness
- 4/24/2024
- by Cath Clarke
- The Guardian - Film News
Palestinian Director Elia Suleiman to Be Honored by Sarajevo Film Festival
- 4/24/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
‘Wednesday’ Season 2 Casts Thandiwe Newton (Exclusive)
- 4/23/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety - TV News
Terry Carter, ‘Battlestar Galactica’ and ‘McCloud’ Actor, Dies at 95
- 4/23/2024
- by Lexi Carson
- Variety - Film News
Netflix to Present Sneak Peek of New Wallace & Gromit, Zack Snyder’s ‘Twilight of the Gods’ at Annecy
- 4/22/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Billed as New ‘The Crown,’ ’Maxima’ Sells for Beta Film to Spain’s Atresmedia TV
- 4/24/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety - TV News
‘One Piece,’ ‘My Hero Academia,’ ‘Chhota Bheem,’ ‘Jai Jagannath’ in the Mix as Warner Bros. Discovery South Asia Unveils Kids Summer Slate and Strategy (Exclusive)
- 4/24/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - TV News