When Star Wars was released in 1977, everybody who saw and reviewed it considered the movie an exciting, innovative piece of pop culture, a fast-moving, special-effects laden fairy tale in space. The film, and the episodes that followed, created a worldwide phenomenon, a massive success for creator George Lucas’s production company Lucasfilm, his special effects company Industrial Light & Magic, and for the studio Twentieth Century Fox.

Over six movies and 28 years writer, director and producer George Lucas created the modern monomyth of our time, one that resonates with the child in us all.

The book begins with Anakin Skywalker as we watch him being trained as a Jedi under Obi-Wan Kenobi, find love with the Queen of Naboo, Padmé Amidala, and ultimately turn to the dark side of his nature and become more machine than man. Years later we follow moisture farmer Luke Skywalker on his journey through a galaxy far, far away, meeting extraordinary characters like the mysterious hermit Obi-Wan Kenobi, space pirates Han Solo and Chewbacca, loyal droids C-3PO and R2-D2, bold Princess Leia and the horrific Darth Vader, servant of the dark, malevolent Emperor.

To achieve his epic vision George Lucas created the space for ground-breaking visual effects and digital technologies that have forever changed the way we make and see visual entertainment.

Paul Duncan and the TASCHEN team, with the full cooperation of Lucasfilm, dive into the Lucasfilm archives to create a book profusely illustrated with script pages, production documents, concept art, storyboards, on-set photography, stills, and posters from the six Star Wars films written and produced by George Lucas.

Star Wars exploded onto our cinema screens in 1977, and the world has not been the same since. After watching depressing and cynical movies throughout the early 1970s, audiences enthusiastically embraced the positive energy of the Star Wars galaxy as they followed moisture farmer Luke Skywalker on his journey through a galaxy far, far away, meeting extraordinary characters like mysterious hermit Obi-Wan Kenobi, space pirates Han Solo and Chewbacca, loyal droids C-3PO and R2-D2, bold Princess Leia Organa and the horrific Darth Vader, servant of the dark, malevolent Emperor.

Writer, director, and producer George Lucas created the modern monomyth of our time, one that resonates with the child in us all. He formed Industrial Light & Magic to develop cutting-edge special effects technology, which he combined with innovative editing techniques and a heightened sense of sound to give audiences a unique sensory cinematic experience.

In this first volume, made with the full cooperation of Lucasfilm, Lucas narrates his own story, taking us through the making of the original trilogy—Episode IV A New Hope, Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, and Episode VI Return of the Jedi—and bringing fresh insights into the creation of a unique universe. Complete with script pages, production documents, concept art, storyboards, on-set photography, stills, and posters, this is the authoritative exploration of the original saga as told by its creator.

From the moment Star Wars burst onto the screen in 1977, audiences have been in equal parts fascinated and appalled by the half-man/half-machine hybrid Darth Vader. In 1999, creator George Lucas began the story of how Anakin Skywalker grew up to train as a Jedi under Obi-Wan Kenobi, found love with the Queen of Naboo, Padmé Amidala, before turning to the dark side of his nature and becoming more machine than man.

After driving the development of nascent digital technology, George Lucas perceived how he could create new creatures and new worlds on a grander scale than ever before. He created the first digital blockbuster, and met fierce resistance when he pushed for widespread digital cameras, sets, characters, and projection – all of which are now used throughout the industry. He essentially popularized the modern way of making movies.

Made with the full cooperation of George Lucas and Lucasfilm, this second volume covers the making of the prequel trilogy — Episode I The Phantom Menace, Episode II Attack of the Clones, and Episode III Revenge of the Sith — and features exclusive interviews with Lucas and his collaborators. The book is profusely illustrated with script pages, production documents, concept art, storyboards, on-set photography, stills, and posters.

From the moment Star Wars burst onto the screen in 1977, audiences have been in equal parts fascinated and appalled by the half-man/half-machine hybrid Darth Vader. In 1999, creator George Lucas began the story of how Anakin Skywalker grew up to train as a Jedi under Obi-Wan Kenobi, found love with the Queen of Naboo, Padmé Amidala, before turning to the dark side of his nature and becoming more machine than man.

After driving the development of nascent digital technology, George Lucas perceived how he could create new creatures and new worlds on a grander scale than ever before. He created the first digital blockbuster, and met fierce resistance when he pushed for widespread digital cameras, sets, characters, and projection – all of which are now used throughout the industry. He essentially popularized the modern way of making movies.

Made with the full cooperation of George Lucas and Lucasfilm, this second volume covers the making of the prequel trilogy — Episode I The Phantom Menace, Episode II Attack of the Clones, and Episode III Revenge of the Sith — and features exclusive interviews with Lucas and his collaborators. The book is profusely illustrated with script pages, production documents, concept art, storyboards, on-set photography, stills, and posters.

One of the most creative minds of the 20th century, Walt Disney built a unique and unrivaled imaginative universe. Like scarcely any other classics of cinema, his astonishing collection of animated cartoons revolutionized storytelling on screen and enchant to this day across geographies and generations.

This expansively illustrated publication on Disney animation gathers hundreds of images as well as essays by Disney experts, taking us to the beating heart of the studio’s “Golden Age of Animation.” We trace Disney’s complete animation journey from the silent film era, through his first full-length feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Fantasia (1940), right up to his last masterpieces Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966) and The Jungle Book (1967).

With extensive research conducted through the historical collections of the Walt Disney Company, as well as private collections, editor Daniel Kothenschulte curates some of the most precious concept paintings and storyboards to reveal just how these animation triumphs came to life. Masterful cel setups provide highly detailed illustrations of famous film scenes while rare pictures taken by Disney photographers bring a privileged insider’s view to the studio’s creative process.

Each of the major animated features that were made during Walt’s lifetime—including Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, Bambi, Cinderella, Peter Pan, and One Hundred and One Dalmatians—is given its own focus chapter, without forgetting less-familiar gems such as the experimental short films of the Silly Symphonies series and under-appreciated episodic musical films such as Make Mine Music and Melody Time.

Realizing the Disney style was a collective project and, as much as the master himself, The Walt Disney Film Archives acknowledges the outstanding animators and designers who influenced the style of the studio, among them Albert Hurter, Gustaf Tenggren, Kay Nielsen, Mary Blair, Sylvia Holland, Tyrus Wong, Ken Anderson, Eyvind Earle, and Walt Peregoy.

Copyright © 2020 Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Newly revised with updates from Avatar: Fire and Ash, The World of Avatar: Updated Edition celebrates the spectacular world of Pandora, from its intricate geomorphology, flora and fauna, to the customs and beliefs of the Na’vi clans.

This book uncovers key content from the first three films in the ongoing franchise: Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water and the highly anticipated blockbuster of 2025 - Avatar: Fire and Ash. It combines original movie stills and artwork with stunning imagery from expanded experiences, such as Ubisoft’s Frontiers of Pandora video game.

With a foreword by Avatar star Zoe Saldaña (Neytiri), and an introduction by producer Jon Landau, The World of Avatar: Updated Edition is the perfect visual guide for excited fans hoping to get a sneak peek of Avatar: Fire and Ash, or anticipating the mammoth success of Avatar for years to come.

© 2024 20th Century Studios. All rights reserved.

In the many realms of modern fantasy there is only one true King, and his name is George Raymond Richard Martin.

With A Song of Ice and Fire, Martin has created a world on a scale almost unrivalled by any other single writer. Approaching two million words and still evolving, this genuinely epic series of novels, with its deeply interlocking narratives, finely crafted drama and enormous range of characters, is a creation of extraordinary breadth.

So how did a writer best known for short stories come to craft such a gigantic sequence of novels, and what is the key to their extraordinary success? What sources – historical, literary and personal – did Martin draw upon in the writing, and what inspiration did they give him?

The Worlds of George R.R. Martin is an in-depth bringing together of the enormous range of inspirations behind Martin’s work – from historical borrowings as wide-ranging as the Roman empire, the Wars of the Roses and the Mongol conquests, to diverse literary and mythological texts, and Martin’s own family experience and biography.

In all his films, Wes Anderson turns the mundane into magic by building distinctive and eccentric worlds. But how well do you know the man behind the camera? Discover the inspirations of one of our most revered auteurs with The Worlds of Wes Anderson.

Anderson’s playful and vibrant aesthetic is universally admired – but how has he managed to create such a recognisable identity?

From Hitchcock and Spielberg to Truffaut and Varda, there are countless homages and references scattered throughout Anderson’s filmography, while his cultural anchor points go far beyond film and into the worlds of art and literature.

Evocations of place and time underpin his work, from mid-century Paris in The French Dispatch to grand pre-war Europe in The Grand Budapest Hotel, while cultural institutions – such as Jacques Cousteau and The New Yorker magazine – are other touchstones.

For Wes Anderson fans and cinephiles alike, this is an essential insight into the creative process of one of the world’s most unique filmmakers.