Lawrence Edward Kasdan (born January 14, 1949) is an American filmmaker. He wrote and directed Body Heat (1981), The Big Chill (1983), Silverado (1985), The Accidental Tourist (1988), and Dreamcatcher (2003). Kasdan also wrote Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and The Bodyguard(1992) and co-wrote four Star Wars films: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983), The Force Awakens (2015), and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). Kasdan is known for updating old Hollywood genres—film noir, science fiction, the western—in a classical dramatic style with quick-witted dialogue, but dealing with contemporary social themes. He is also known for his frequent collaborations, including directing William Hurt and Kevin Kline or writing dialogue for Harrison Ford. 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 sons Jonathan Kasdan and Jake Kasdan.
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