ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The University of Michigan is set to house an invaluable collection of documents belonging to screenwriter and director Lawrence Kasdan, known for his work on legendary films. This offers researchers and filmmakers a unique glimpse into his creative journey.
Currently, archivists are in the process of cataloging over 150 boxes that chronicle the 76-year-old director’s contributions to cinema, including the creation of unforgettable characters like Indiana Jones and Yoda. This extensive archive also highlights his collaborations with actors such as Geena Davis, Glenn Close, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Costner.
“My lifelong ambition was to become a film director, and every detail held significance for me,” Kasdan shared with The Associated Press. “I’m thrilled that this collection can now be accessed by anyone with an interest in it.”
The archive is a treasure trove, featuring scripts, call sheets, and rare photographs, some of which have never been seen before.
Before Kevin Costner achieved fame and critical acclaim, he balanced various studio jobs with drama classes at night. His anticipated breakthrough came when Kasdan cast him in the 1983 film “The Big Chill.”
Costner portrayed Alex, whose demise reunites his college friends from Michigan. However, the pivotal flashback scene he was featured in was ultimately cut from the final version of the film.
What are believed to be among the only existing photographs of the famously deleted scene are part of the Kasdan collection, 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 destination for researchers. The archive features audio cassette recordings of Kasdan discussing the film with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. It also includes Polaroids taken of cast and crew members on the sets of his movies.
There are props, too, including a cowboy hat from the 1985 Western “Silverado,” worn by none other than Costner. Kasdan and the kid from California would work together again on “Wyatt Earp” in the ’90s. Costner also starred in “The Bodyguard,” which Kasdan wrote.
A number of unproduced scripts also are part of the collection.
“I’ve always considered myself a director and a writer. And if you are really interested in any particular movie, you can follow the evolution of that movie in the archive,” Kasdan said.
Library staff members are working chronologically through Kasdan’s material, meaning the papers for Kasdan’s earliest work — including “Body Heat” and “The Big Chill,” as well as the scripts for two “Star Wars” classics, “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” — can be accessed first.
The remaining material should be completely processed by late 2026, said Phil Hallman, the curator of the collection. Hallman hopes to have Kasdan visit, perhaps next fall, to see the archive and take part in a symposium.
Kasdan’s papers are part of the University of Michigan Library’s Screen Arts Mavericks and Makers Collection, which includes Orson Welles, Robert 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 two years later, is the lone Michigan alum among the group.
“To be there, held in the same place as those wonderful directors, is really a great honor,” Kasdan said.
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