Gary Kurtz

American film producer, who worked with George Lucas to develop such highly successful films as "American Graffiti," "Star Wars" and "The Empire Strikes Back."

Their partnership made Kurtz a wealthy man but he walked away in what was described as an amicable split. He left, without regrets, to do projects he felt excited about. Moving to London, he spent 22 years lecturing at film schools and developing European film projects, not always successfully. His attempts to get projects such as Isaac Asimov’s "I, Robot" onto the big screen failed. Kurtz said that he was motivated more by projects that challenged him than by monetary rewards and stated that he gave up "trying to fit into the Hollywood mold."

Kurtz had two grown daughters from his first marriage; both worked in the animation and film business in Los Angeles. He spent his free time studying Zen and Tibetan Buddhism.

He died from cancer in north London, England on 23 September 2018, aged 78.