skyjedi2005 said:

"He also tried to get Ron Howard to direct the Phantom Menace"

Is this true???!!! First I've heard of this!

The subject of why other people didn't direct the prequels is the one I'm most fascinated by, and thusfar I've come across next to zero info regarding it. I don't remember even Zombie's book having much on it.

In the Leonard Maltin interviews on the '95 vhs, Lucas mentions "I might direct the first one." Where did you hear about Ron Howard???!!! Yeah, obviously he and Lucas go all the way back to Graffiti and then worked together again on Willow, so I'm not exactly surprised to find this out. I would still love to know where you heard/read about this, though.