Star Wars: The Blueprints brings together the original technical drawings from deep within the Lucasfilm Archives. Combined with commentary from J. W. Rinzler, the collection maps in precise, vivid, and intricate detail the genesis of one of the most enduring onscreen stories. Special features: more than 250 blueprints; more than 500 photographs and illustrations; and, ten gatefolds.

In this lavish thirtieth-anniversary tribute to the blockbuster film "Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, New York Times" bestselling author J. W. Rinzler draws back the curtain to reveal the intense drama and magnificent wizardry behind the hit movie--arguably the fan favorite of the "Star Wars" Saga.
Following his "The Making of Star Wars, " the author has once again made use of his unlimited access to the Lucasfilm Archives and its hidden treasures of previously unpublished interviews, photos, artwork, and production mementos. The result is a comprehensive behind-the-scenes, up-close-and-personal look at the trials and triumphs, risks and close calls, inspiration, perspiration, and imagination that went into every facet of this cinematic masterpiece. Here's the inside scoop on:
- the evolution of the script, from story conference and treatment to fifth draft, as conceived, written, and rewritten by George Lucas, famed science-fiction author Leigh Brackett, and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan
- the development of new key characters, including roguish hero Lando Calrissian, sinister bounty hunter Boba Fett, and iconic Jedi Master Yoda
- the challenges of shooting the epic ice planet battle in the frozen reaches of Norway and of conjuring up convincing creatures and craft--from tauntauns and snowspeeders to Imperial walkers
- the construction of a life-sized "Millennium Falcon" and the swamp planet Dagobah inside a specially built soundstage in Elstree Studios
- the technique behind master Muppeteer Frank Oz's breathing life into the breakthrough character Yoda
- the creation of the new, improved Industrial Light & Magic visual effects facility and the founding of the now-legendary Skywalker Ranch
In addition, of course, are rare on-the-scene interviews with all the major players: actors Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and David Prowse; director Irvin Kershner; producer Gary Kurtz; effects specialists Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, Ken Ralston, and Phil Tippett; composer John Williams; and many others. Punctuating the epic account is a bounty of drawings, storyboards, and paintings by Ralph McQuarrie, Joe Johnston, and Ivor Beddoes, along with classic and rare production photos. An added bonus is a Foreword by acclaimed director Ridley Scott.
"The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" is a fittingly glorious celebration of an undisputed space-fantasy movie milestone. Search your feelings, you know it to be true.

The definitive visual history of the thrilling make-up artistry of the legendary Rick Baker, a must-have for collectors and special effects afficionados. From the gory zombies of Michael Jackson's Thriller to the staggeringly lifelike results of Bigfoot in Harry and the Hendersons to the groundbreaking effects in An American Werewolf in London, Baker's special effects, makeup, and prosthetics are some of Hollywood's most enduring legacies. This deluxe, two-volume set is replete with more than 1000 four-colour images and original sketches. It covers the makeup artist's 40-plus-year journey, from his early days as a young "monster maker", creating body parts in his parents' kitchen, to his more than 70 film and television credits--that earned seven Academy Awards, one Emmy, and three BAFTAs, among numerous other awards.

George Lucas spent nearly ten years bringing his dream project to life: a ground-breaking space fantasy movie. It would be a swashbuckling sci-fi saga inspired by vintage Flash Gordon serials, classic American westerns, and mythological heroes. Its original title: The Star Wars. The rest is history. Yet its production is a story as entertaining and exciting as the film itself. Now, recounted in the words of those who were there, it is finally being told, for the first time.

During the years 1975 to 1978, over fifty interviews were conducted with key members of the cast and crew. Remarkably these interviews have sat, undisturbed, in the Lucasfilm Archives for three decades. Until now.

The interviews are fresh, candid and – above all – more accurate than many other reported accounts. George Lucas, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, composer John Williams, legendary production designer John Barry, and a host of others share their fascinating tales of overcoming obstacles – storms, crises, technical limitations, high stress and bitter disappointment – while displaying real ingenuity, heroism and creativity.

Using his unprecedented access to the Lucasfilm Archives and this trove of never-before-published ‘lost’ interviews, photographs, production notes, factoids and anecdotes, J. W. Rinzler hurtles readers back in time for a definitive look at the making of Star Wars. For the first time, it’s all here:

* The evolution of the now-classic story and characters – including ‘Annikin Starkiller’ and a ‘huge green-skinned monster with no nose and large gills’ named Han Solo

* Excerpts from George Lucas’s numerous, ever-morphing script drafts

* The birth of Industrial Light & Magic, the special-effects company that revolutionised Hollywood film-making

* The studio-hopping and budget battles that nearly derailed the entire project

* The director’s early casting saga

* The gruelling, nearly catastrophic location shoot in Tunisia and the following breakneck dash to Elstree Studios in London

Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of images spanning the creation of the film, The Making of Star Wars is a piece of cinema history. It is the true story of human endeavour and creativity that led to the production of one of the most outstanding and innovative movies of all time.

NOTE: The books contains 372 pages. These comprise: 362 pages in Arabic numbered pages (ie. 1 - 362) and 10 Roman numbered pages (i - x).

A captivating exploration of the life, work, and insider insight of legendary film producer Howard Kazanjian

Howard Kazanjian, a film producer whose career spans 50 years, has collaborated with Hollywood legends such as Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Sam Peckinpah, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas, and worked on such classics as The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Return of the Jedi. Complete with personal anecdotes from the front lines, and coupled with rare archival photographs, this full-length biography tells the story of Kazanjian’s rise in Hollywood and takes us behind the scenes of the producer’s role in some of the biggest blockbusters in film history.

Just as" Star Wars: "Episode VI "Return of the Jedi" completed the most successful cinematic trilogy of its generation, perhaps of all time, this splendid thirtieth-anniversary tribute completes "New York Times "bestselling author J. W. Rinzler's trio of fascinating behind-the-scenes books celebrating George Lucas's classic films.
Once again, the author's unprecedented access to the formidable Lucasfilm Archives has yielded a mother lode of extremely informative, vastly entertaining, and often unexpected stories, anecdotes, recollections, and revelations straight from the closely guarded set of a big-screen blockbuster in the making. Brimming with previously unpublished photos, production artwork, script excerpts, exclusive intel, vintage on-set interviews, and present-day commentary, "The Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi "chronicles "how George Lucas and his crew of extroverted artists, misfits, and expert craftspeople roused themselves to great heights for a third time" to create the next unforgettable chapter in one of the most beloved sagas of all time. Get up close to the action and feel like a studio insider as
- creator George Lucas, Oscar-nominated screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, and director Richard Marquand huddle in a script conference to debate the destinies of iconic "Star Wars" characters, as well as plot twists and turns for the epic final showdown between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire
- artists and craftspeople at the groundbreaking Industrial Light & Magic facility top their own revolutionary innovations--despite the infamous Black Friday--with boundary-pushing new "analog "visual effects
- a crack team of sculptors, puppeteers, actors, and "monster-makers" bring Jabba the Hutt and his cohorts to startling, slobbering life from the inside out
- a "Who's Who" of heavyweight directors--from such films as "Superman, Gremlins, Halloween, Dune, Scanners, "and" Time Bandits"--are considered for the coveted job of bringing a new "Star Wars" adventure to the silver screen
- actors and crew race to the finish line at Elstree Studios, in a fiery desert, and beneath the trees of a dense redwood forest--before money runs out--to answer the questions that audiences had waited three years to find out: Is Darth Vader really Luke's father, who is the "other"--and who or what is the Emperor?
"Star Wars"' stars from both sides of the camera--including Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, Alec Guinness, director Richard Marquand, producer Howard Kazanjian, Ralph McQuarrie, Joe Johnston, Dennis Muren, Phil Tippett, and mastermind George Lucas--weigh in with candid insights on everything from technical challenges, character design, Ewoks, the Empire's galactic city planet, and the ultimate challenge of bringing the phenomenal space fantasy to a dramatic close. "The Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi" gives a spectacular subject its just due, with more than five hundred images and many, many new interviews.
Praise for "The Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi"
"Just like Rinzler's 2010 volume about "Empire Strikes Back, The Making of Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi" is an indispensible volume that will add tons of insight to your appreciation of George Lucas' Original Trilogy. Rinzler has gone through masses of production documents at Lucasfilm and interviewed tons of people, and come up with a portrait of Lucas struggling to find a fitting ending to his ambitious, heroic saga."--"io9"

In 1997, as George Lucas worked to complete early drafts for "Star Wars: "Episode I "The Phantom Menace," he enlisted the talents of some of the greatest storyboard artists of the modern era to illustrate conceptual storyboards that would inform the development of the final shooting script, as well as the finished film. Working from Lucas's ideas for scenes and sequences, these artists produced beautiful drawings that helped lay the foundations for the worlds, characters, and shots of the "Star Wars" Prequel Trilogy. Together, these conceptual storyboards show early takes on favorite scenes; alternate, unused approaches to character designs and environments; and entirely different approaches to key moments. Like wordless comic books, they have an energy and rhythm all their own that is fascinating to explore.
Now, for the first time, Lucasfilm has opened its archives to present the best of the conceptual storyboards for Episodes I, II, and III. "Star Wars Storyboards: The Prequel Trilogy" collects the best storyboards from all three films together in one striking volume. Throughout this book, readers will find insight into how these conceptual storyboards helped to contribute both to the creation of the Prequel Trilogy and the expansion of the "Star Wars" universe.
Praise for Stars Wars Storyboards:
"We had no idea the "Star Wars" prequels could have been this good Overall, the book gave us a new appreciation for what could have been . . . Plus it's exceptionally gorgeous, and you should check it out." --i09

Comprehensive and definitive volume telling the complete story of how Aliens was made, featuring new interviews with some of the cast and production crew, and including many rarely seen photos and illustrations from the Fox archives. As one of the most highly regarded movie sequels of all time, Aliens quickly embedded itself in the minds of cinemagoers around the world when it was released in 1986. Driven by the singular vision of director James Cameron and guided by producer Gale Ann Hurd, its relentless action and unforgettable characters helped cement its place as an undisputed classic of 1980s cinema. The Making of Aliens tells the complete story of how Cameron and Hurd, together with their immensely talented cast and crew, brought heroine Ellen Ripley back to the big screen-and upped the stakes by introducing a whole army of aliens for her to face. Interviews with the cast and crew, alongside revealing photography and fascinating concept art, illustrate the film's eventful journey from its beginnings as a sequel that nobody wanted to make through to its transformation into one of the highest-grossing blockbusters of the decade.

Comprehensive and definitive volume telling the complete story of how Alien was made, featuring new interviews with Ridley Scott and other production crew, and including many rarely-seen photos and illustrations from the Fox archives.

In 1979 a movie legend was born, as Twentieth Century-Fox and director Ridley Scott unleashed Alien and gave audiences around the world the scare of their lives.

To celebrate the movie's fortieth anniversary, author J.W. Rinzler (The Making of Star Wars) tells the whole fascinating story of how Alien evolved from a simple idea in the mind of writer Dan O'Bannon into one of the most memorable sci-fi horror thrillers of all time.

With brand new interviews with Ridley Scott and other key members of the original production crew, and featuring many never-before-seen photographs and artworks from the archives, The Making of Alien is the definitive work on this masterpiece of popular cinema.

In this lavish thirtieth-anniversary tribute to the blockbuster film "Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, New York Times" bestselling author J. W. Rinzler draws back the curtain to reveal the intense drama and magnificent wizardry behind the hit movie--arguably the fan favorite of the "Star Wars" Saga.
Following his "The Making of Star Wars, " the author has once again made use of his unlimited access to the Lucasfilm Archives and its hidden treasures of previously unpublished interviews, photos, artwork, and production mementos. The result is a comprehensive behind-the-scenes, up-close-and-personal look at the trials and triumphs, risks and close calls, inspiration, perspiration, and imagination that went into every facet of this cinematic masterpiece. Here's the inside scoop on:
- the evolution of the script, from story conference and treatment to fifth draft, as conceived, written, and rewritten by George Lucas, famed science-fiction author Leigh Brackett, and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan
- the development of new key characters, including roguish hero Lando Calrissian, sinister bounty hunter Boba Fett, and iconic Jedi Master Yoda
- the challenges of shooting the epic ice planet battle in the frozen reaches of Norway and of conjuring up convincing creatures and craft--from tauntauns and snowspeeders to Imperial walkers
- the construction of a life-sized "Millennium Falcon" and the swamp planet Dagobah inside a specially built soundstage in Elstree Studios
- the technique behind master Muppeteer Frank Oz's breathing life into the breakthrough character Yoda
- the creation of the new, improved Industrial Light & Magic visual effects facility and the founding of the now-legendary Skywalker Ranch
In addition, of course, are rare on-the-scene interviews with all the major players: actors Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and David Prowse; director Irvin Kershner; producer Gary Kurtz; effects specialists Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, Ken Ralston, and Phil Tippett; composer John Williams; and many others. Punctuating the epic account is a bounty of drawings, storyboards, and paintings by Ralph McQuarrie, Joe Johnston, and Ivor Beddoes, along with classic and rare production photos. An added bonus is a Foreword by acclaimed director Ridley Scott.
"The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" is a fittingly glorious celebration of an undisputed space-fantasy movie milestone. Search your feelings, you know it to be true.

FOREWORD BY FRASER HESTON In celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of Planet of the Apes, the classic science-fiction film from 1968, The Making of Planet of the Apes tells the film and offers exclusive, never-before-seen photographs and concept art. Based on Pierre Boulle's novel La Planete de singes, the original Planet of the Apes was one of the most celebrated films of the 1960s and beyond. Starring Hollywood icons Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall, the movie struck a chord with the world and sparked a franchise that included eight sequels, two television series, and a long-running comic book. Now, five decades after its theatrical release, New York Times bestselling author J. W. Rinzler tells the thrilling story of this legendary Hollywood production-a film even Boulle thought would be impossible to make. With a foreword by Fraser Heston, Charlton Heston's son, The Making of Planet of the Apes is an entertaining, informative experience that will transport readers back to the strange alternate Earth ruled by apes, and bring to life memorable characters such as Cornelius, Dr. Zira, Dr. Zaius, and Taylor, the human astronaut whose time-traveling sparks an incredible adventure. Meticulously researched and designed to capture the look and atmosphere of the film, The Making of Planet of the Apes is also packed with a wealth of concept paintings, storyboards, and never-before-seen imagery-including rare journal pages and sketches from Charlton Heston's private collection-as well as color and black-and-white unit photography, posters, and more unique ephemera. Comprehensive in scope, The Making of Planet of the Apes is the definitive look at the original blockbuster film, a must-have for fans, film buffs, and collectors alike.

From "Raiders of the Lost Ark" to "The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"
The man with the hat is back-in the definitive behind-the-scenes look at the Indiana Jones epic action saga.
When George Lucas and Steven Spielberg put their heads together to create a no-holds-barred action-adventure movie, bigger-than-life hero Indiana Jones was born. The rest is breathtaking, record-breaking box-office history. Now comes an all-new Indiana Jones feature film: "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." Here's your chance to go on location for an up-close, all-access tour of the year's most eagerly anticipated blockbuster, as well as the classics. The Complete Making of Indiana Jones is a crash course in movie magic-making-showcasing the masters of the craft and served up by veteran entertainment chroniclers J. W. Rinzler and Laurent Bouzereau. Inside you'll find:
- exclusive on-set interviews with the entire cast and crew of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," including Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, and John Hurt-plus director Steven Spielberg, executive producer George Lucas, screenwriter David Koepp, and the incredible production team that built some of the most fantastic sets ever.
- hundreds of full-color images-from storyboards, concept paintings, and set design schematics to still photos from all four films with candid action shots of the productions in progress
- an in-depth chronicle of the making of the first three Indiana Jones movies-"Raiders of the Lost Ark," "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"-including transcripts of the original concept meetings, cast and crew anecdotes, production photos, and information on scenes that were cut from the final films
- never-before-seen artwork and archival gems from the Lucasfilm Archives
- and much more
Don't miss the thrilling new movie or this definitive making-of opus. It's as essential to fans as that trusty bullwhip is to Indy

For the first time, Lucasfilm has opened its Archives to present the complete storyboards for the original Star Wars trilogy-the world-changing A New Hope and its operatic sequels, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi-as well as never-before-published art from early conceptual and deleted scenes. From the opening chase above Tatooine in A New Hope to the Battle of Endor in Jedi, this book presents the visual inspiration behind now-iconic moments. Readers can finally see a full set of storyboards by legendary artist Joe Johnston, as well as early boards for Episode IV by Alex Tavoularis and for Episode V by Ivor Beddoes, rarely seen Episode VI boards by Roy Carnon, and Ralph McQuarrie's never-before-seen storyboards for Episode V.