ANN ARBOR, MI — Researchers, documentary filmmakers and others will soon be able to get their hands on a writer and director. Lawrence Kasdan papers at his alma mater, the University of Michigan.
Archivists are about a quarter of the way through cataloging more than 150 boxes of materials documenting the 76-year-old director's role in bringing to life such iconic characters as Indiana Jones and Yoda, and has directed actors ranging from Geena Davis and Glenn Close Morgan Freeman and Kevin Costner.
“All I ever wanted to do was be a filmmaker. And so all the details meant something to me,” Kasdan told The Associated Press. “I’m thrilled that this wealth of stuff is available to anyone who’s interested.”
The archive contains scripts, call sheets and photographs, including several rarities.
Before Costner became an Oscar winner and a Hollywood icon, he worked various studio jobs while taking drama classes in the evenings. His break—or so he thought—came when Kasdan cast him in 1983's The Big Chill.
Costner plays Alex, whose death unites his fellow Michigan alumni. Unfortunately, his big flashback scene ended up on the cutting room floor.
What is believed to be one of the few existing photographs of the famous deleted scene is part of Kasdan's collection, which is now housed in Ann Arbor.
“Different people will be interested in different things,” Kasdan said, pointing to his work writing the “Raiders of the Lost Ark” screenplay as one possible direction for researchers. The archive features audiotapes of Kasdan discussing the film with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. It also includes Polaroids of actors and crew members on the sets of his films.
There are also props, including the cowboy hat from the 1985 western Silverado, worn by none other than Costner. Kasdan and the guy from California worked together again on Wyatt Earp in the '90s. Costner also starred in The Bodyguard, which was written by Kasdan.
The collection also includes a number of unproduced scripts.
“I've always considered myself a director and a writer. And if you're really interested in a particular film, you can follow the development of that film in the archive,” Kasdan said.
Library staff work through Kasdan's materials in chronological order, meaning documents from Kasdan's earliest works, including Body Heat and The Big Chill, as well as the scripts for two classic Star Wars films, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, can be accessed first.
The remaining material should be fully processed by the end of 2026, said collection curator Phil Hollman. Hollman hopes to visit Kasdan, perhaps next fall, to see the archive and participate in a symposium.
Kasdan's work is part of the University of Michigan Library's Screen Arts Mavericks and Makers collection, which includes Orson WellesRobert Altman, Jonathan Demme, Nancy Savoca and John Sayles. Kasdan, who grew up in West Virginia and earned a bachelor's degree in 1970 and a master's degree two years later, is the only Michigan graduate among the group.
“To be there in the same place with these amazing directors is truly an honor,” Kasdan said.
