Lawrence Kasdan

Lawrence Kasdan
Kasdan at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	Lawrence Edward Kasdan (1949-01-14) January 14, 1949 (age 75) Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Michigan
Occupations	Screenwriter film director film producer
Years active	1980–present
Spouse	Meg Goldman ​ (m. 1971)​
Children	Jake Jonathan
Relatives	Mark Kasdan (brother)

Lawrence Edward Kasdan^[1] (born January 14, 1949) is an American filmmaker. He is the co-writer of the Star Wars films The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983), The Force Awakens (2015), and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). He also wrote Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and The Bodyguard (1992), and is the writer-director of Body Heat (1981), The Big Chill (1983), Silverado (1985), The Accidental Tourist (1988), and Dreamcatcher (2003).

Kasdan is known for updating old Hollywood genres—film noir, science fiction, westerns—in a classical dramatic style with quick-witted dialogue, but dealing with contemporary social themes. As a director, he has made various personal films that examine characters and generations.

Kasdan has been nominated for four Academy Awards: as a producer for Best Picture nominee The Accidental Tourist, for which he was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, and for Best Original Screenplay for both The Big Chill and Grand Canyon (1991). He has often collaborated with his wife, Meg Kasdan, his brother, Mark Kasdan, and his two sons: Jonathan Kasdan and Jake Kasdan. He has frequently cast Kevin Kline and William Hurt in his films.