Great post.
I didn't know about Peter Weir being in the running - he would have been a great choice. He's a massively underrated director, IMO, who seems capable of making pretty much any kind of movie he puts his mind to.
Of course Lucas probably didn't want a talented free thinking director after what happened with Kershner.
If/when I make any further changes (I have a list of about 20 things to try out from Bingowings alone) I'll let you know.