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. Spielberg was also the one who got Lucas in touch with John Williams, whose music ended up being so important for Star Wars. Speaking of Star Wars, Revenge of the Sith, the last film in the series directed by George Lucas, also has some Spielbergian touches to it, and there is evidence that Spielberg assisted with some parts of its production. As it’s considered 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, which implied that 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.
The film Revenge of the Sith is all about the final stages of Anakin’s turn to the Dark Side and thus packs 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, which is why they came much later. Essentially, they showcase Anakin Skywalker’s life before he became Darth Vader, the memorable and iconic villain (who eventually gets redeemed) in the original trilogy. Revenge of the Sith focuses on Anakin’s final stages of turning to the Dark Side, making it particularly impactful among the prequels. “Lots of stuff happens in this one” is a simplistic but somewhat true statement regarding Revenge of the Sith.
The Contributions Steven Spielberg Made (and Might’ve Made) to ‘Revenge of the Sith’
Steven Spielberg seemed quite busy in the 2000s. For instance, 2002 saw him release two movies (Catch Me If You Can and Minority Report) and he did similarly in 2005 with both Munich and War of the Worlds. In between those double features, he also directed The Terminal. Furthermore, he has been said to have helped Lucas with Revenge of the Sith, overseeing some sequences during their pre-visualization stage. This was probably not quite like ghost-directing as some believe he might have done with Poltergeist since Lucas remained firmly in control as chief director behind Revenge of the Sith.
However, it is generally agreed that Spielberg reviewed some action set pieces, including the final duel—one of the most impressive action sequences in the series. The same goes for parts of Order 66 assassination sequence, which is potentially defining and memorable moment within the entire prequel trilogy. Additionally, since Steven Spielberg knows how to direct great action scenes and is comfortable within science fiction genre, his advice on crafting slicker sci-fi action scenes would have been beneficial. It is not too controversial to suggest that Revenge of the Sith features better action than both The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.
Other Collaborations Between Spielberg and Lucas Over the Years
Image via Paramount Pictures
The teamwork here wasn’t on par with Lucas and Spielberg collaborating on their iconic films like those from the series featuring The Indiana Jones directed by Spielberg (including classics likeRaiders of the Lost Ark). Lucas conceived ofRaiders of the Lost Ark , co-wrote it ,and his company ,Lucasfilm , produced it . The same can be said about its sequels directed by Spielberg.
Additonally , there are images showing Spielberg visitingThe Phantom Menace set , suggesting that if this was common practice during their collaborations , no one can truly know how deep their partnership runs. Nevertheless , Steven Spielberg and George Lucas areundeniably like-minded individuals , especially during their early careers in filmmaking (throughout both decades from1970s into1980s thanks toIndiana Jones). Knowing that Spielberg continued helping Lucas until as recently as 2005 is endearing , leading one to hope that if Lucas decided against makingRevenge ofthe Sith his final film , Spielberg would be there to offer assistance.
