Richard Marquand

Richard Marquand (1937–1987) was a Welsh filmmaker best known for directing Return of the Jedi, the concluding chapter of the original Star Wars trilogy. Trained in British television and drama, he brought a character-focused sensibility to large-scale genre filmmaking, balancing spectacle with moments of intimacy. Though his career was relatively brief, Marquand’s work sits at the intersection of studio craft and mythic storytelling, guiding one of cinema’s most enduring space operas toward its final act.