This article delves into the careers of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, highlighting their similarities and differences in their early years as filmmakers. It also discusses their collaboration on the Indiana Jones movies and their influence on the Star Wars prequel trilogy, with a particular focus on the film 'Revenge of the Sith'.
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are from the same generation of filmmakers, and for a while, their careers followed a similar trajectory. Spielberg made Duel in 1971, and Lucas directed THX 1138 the same year.
Spielberg’s next film, The Sugarland Express, built upon what he’d achieved in Duel, and Lucas’s second feature film, American Graffiti, was bigger – and even better – than THX 1138. Then, both directors basically ushered in what we now understand to be blockbuster cinema. Spielberg made Jaws in 1975, which was about as big, broadly appealing, and popular as movies had gotten up until that point, and then Lucas’s Star Wars, two years later, was even more of a phenomenon.
Both filmmakers have done quite a bit since then (Spielberg directing more, admittedly, with his most recent release being 2026’s Disclosure Day), but their legacies were guaranteed thanks to those two movies. Oh, and the pair are friends, for the most part.
There’s been some admitted rivalry between them, early on, but they’ve collaborated before, as the Indiana Jones movies show, and then there’s also things like Spielberg being the one who got Lucas in touch with John Williams, and then his music ended up being so important for Star Wars going forward (that feels like an understatement, but still, undeniably true). Speaking of Star Wars, Revenge of the Sith, the last film in the series George Lucas directed, also has some Spielbergian touches to it, and there is evidence that Spielberg assisted with some parts of its production.
As it’s the best of the prequels, Spielberg’s contributions might well be worthy of some consideration. The Narrative of the 'Star Wars' Prequels While it was first released as Star Wars, Lucas’s first film in the series soon became known as Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, and that meant there was more story to tell in, one would assume, Episodes I through III.
Enter the prequel trilogy, which comprises The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith. These movies aren’t as great as those in the original trilogy, but they have been re-evaluated in understandable ways as the years have gone on, largely thanks to them feeling like a single person’s (sometimes unusual) vision.
Revenge of the Sith is all about the final stages of Anakin’s turn to the Dark Side, naturally enough, and so it does pack the biggest punch of the prequels. There was technology needed for the prequels that Lucas felt wasn’t available until near the end of the 20th century, so that’s why they came much later.
Basically, they showcase Anakin Skywalker’s life before he became Darth Vader, the beyond memorable and iconic villain (who eventually gets redeemed) in the original trilogy. Revenge of the Sith is all about the final stages of Anakin’s turn to the Dark Side, naturally enough, and so it does pack the biggest punch of the prequels.
‘Lots of stuff happens in this one and that makes it more interesting’ is a simplistic but still kind of true thing to say, regarding Revenge of the Sith. The Contributions Steven Spielberg Made (and Might’ve Made) to ‘Revenge of the Sith’ Steven Spielberg seemed pretty busy in the 2000s, to put it mildly. 2002 was a year when he had two movies come out, for example (Catch Me If You Can and Minority Report), and then in 2005, he did the same thing, as both Munich and War of the Worlds came out that year.
Between those arguable double features, he also directed The Terminal (2004). Further, he’s also said to have helped Lucas with Revenge of the Sith, overseeing some sequences while they were in their pre-visualization stage. So, probably not quite like ghost-directing the way some people believe Spielberg might’ve done with Poltergeist, because Lucas does still feel like the chief engineer behind Revenge of the Sith. One would assume he could shut down things Spielberg suggested that he didn’t like.
But it is generally agreed upon that Spielberg looked over some action set pieces, including the final duel, and that is one of the most impressive action sequences in the series. The same goes for some of the Order 66 assassination sequence, which is potentially the defining – and most memorable – moment of the entire prequel trilogy.
And Steven Spielberg does know how to helm some great action set pieces, and he’s also very comfortable within the science fiction genre, so some advice on how to make sci-fi action scenes feel a little slicker would’ve gone a long way. It’s hopefully not too controversial to suggest that Revenge of the Sith has better action than The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.
Other Collaborations Between Spielberg and Lucas Over the Years The teamwork here wasn’t on the same level as Lucas and Spielberg collaborating on the Indiana Jones movies that Spielberg directed (including the all-timer that is Raiders of the Lost Ark)
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