Spielberg said: “I’ve asked [Lucas]. He won’t let me do one. I wanted to do one 15 years ago, and he didn’t want me to do it.”

Despite this, the director added: “I understand why – Star Wars is George’s baby. It’s his cottage industry and it’s his fingerprints.

“He knows I’ve got Jurassic Park and Raiders. But George has Star Wars and I don’t think he feels inclined to share any of it with me.”

Although he didn’t direct anything in the Star Wars universe officially, Spielberg was hugely involved in the sixth film, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.