Robert Watts, Producer of "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones," Has Died at 86

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Robert Watts, the British film producer who helped get both Star Wars and Indiana Jones into theaters, has died at the age of 86. His passing was announced in part by Watts' friend, Star Wars set designer Roger Chrisitan, who posted the following: "I've just heard news that my dear friend Robert Watts has passed. Robert was one of the 5 people who really stood by George and our tiny art department to get Star Wars made. Robert was very spiritual and we became more than friends. I interviewed him for my documentary Galaxy built on hope and valued greatly his insight. I will miss him #star wars".

Watts became connected with Star Wars creator George Lucas after working as a production supervisor for producer Gary Kurtz. Watts advanced through the ranks of Lucasfilm after A New Hope was released; by the time The Empire Strikes Back came out (1981), he was an associate producer on the film, and went on to be co-producer of Return of the Jedi (1983). He even got his family into the act: Watts's half-brother Jeremy Bulloch played Boba Fett in the original Star Wars Trilogy.

In between Star Wars projects, Watts acted as associate producer on the first Indiana Jones film, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), and graduated to full producer of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and its sequel, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). Working on the Indiana Jones films helped Watts also form a relationship with director Steven Spielberg, who would open additional doors for Watts. That led to Watts producing Robert Zemeckis's Who Framed Roger Rabbit; co-producing the animated sequel An American Tail: Fievel Goes West with Speilberg, and Frank Marshall's survival biopic Alive.

 

 

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