For nearly half a century, the supreme wizards at Industrial Light & Magic have been pioneers of cinematic visual effects that dazzle the eye and excite the senses.Â
Since being founded by George Lucas back in 1975 in a Van Nuys, California warehouse to deliver special miniatures, stop-motion animation, matte paintings, and other amazing optical effects for his sprawling space opera, “Star Wars: A New Hope,” ILM has provided generations of moviegoers with remarkable images bound only by the limits of the imagination.
Now, to honor the incredible legacy of ILM, a new six-part docuseries produced by Imagine Entertainment and titled “Light & Magic” is headed for Disney+ starting on July 27, 2022. Â
Related: ‘Star Wars’: Summary of the franchise and its effect on space technology
Imagine co-founder and Academy Award-winner Ron Howard (“Apollo 13,” “A Beautiful Mind,” “Solo: A Star Wars Story”) and director Lawrence Kasdan (“Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back,” “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi”) will take viewers on an extraordinary journey into the history of Lucas’s acclaimed dream factory that has won a total of 16 Academy Awards.Â
This major event series offers unprecedented access to rare behind-the-scenes footage, never-seen stills, fresh interviews, and archival material across five decades.
“Light & Magic” traces the company’s humble beginnings in Southern California in the mid-’70s creating the striking practical visual effects for “Star Wars,” all the way to the studio’s impressive achievements in the art of computer-generated digital wonders today.Â
From “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Willow” and “The Abyss,” to “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” “Transformers,” and “The Mandalorian,” “Light & Magic” spans their entire spectrum of work and contains commentary from George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, James Cameron, John Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, and Lynwen Brennan, as well as ILM and VFX luminaries Phil Tippett, Dennis Muren, Joe Johnston, Rose Duignan, Richard Edlund, Jean Bolte, Doug Chiang, and dozens more.Â
Debuting on July 27, 2022, Disney+’s “Light & Magic” is directed by Lawrence Kasdan and executive produced by Imagine Entertainment’s Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, and Justin Wilkes, with Lawrence Kasdan, Kathleen Kennedy, and Michelle Rejwan joining the ambitious project.
For more “Star Wars” magic, check out our guides to “Star Wars” movies in chronological order and “Star Wars” movies ranked, from worst to best.
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