
Age: 77
male
Lawrence Edward Kasdan (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, and Westerns—in a classical dramatic style with quick-witted dialogue while 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. Description above from the Wikipedia article Lawrence Kasdan, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Development on the live-action Batman film that ultimately saw release in 1989 under Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton began in the late 1970s and ultimately went through a myriad of changes. Suppose things had turned out differently, if Burton and Keaton hadn't been hired? Who would've donned the mask? Who would've directed? Who would fill out the supporting cast?
