William Friedkin Almost Directed "Star Wars"

Unfortunately for him, the director of "The Exorcist", passed on the opportunity after reading the script and seeing that others before him had done the same.

According to The Daily Record, Friedkin says:

I had an opportunity to produce Star Wars. Francis [Ford Coppola] gave us the script at the time when no studio wanted to make it. [Peter] Bogdanovich and I looked at it and scratched our heads. I asked Francis if he was going to direct and he said George Lucas was. George had only made American Graffiti and I didn't think he could bring it off. Well, I was wrong. I guess I made a little mistake. But I did not know where the audience was going. Star Wars changed the business.