The Big Chill Director is Lawrence Kasdan, a six-letter name. Kasdan is an American screenwriter, director, and producer who has been active in Hollywood since the late 1970s. He is best known for writing the screenplays for The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Return of the Jedi. He also directed and wrote the screenplay for The Big Chill, a 1983 comedy-drama film about a group of baby boomers who reunite after 15 years.