The Making of Star Wars

Star Wars was released in 1977 and went on to earn almost $775 million at the worldwide box office. It would change film-making forever. Published for the 30th anniversary of the original movie, this is a must-have book for all Star Wars fans and serious cineastes. Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of images spanning the creation of the film, and including previously unpublished interviews and stories, The Making of Star Wars is a piece of cinema history; and the story behind the making of this book is almost as intriguing. When author J.W. Rinzler heard that a similar project had been started back in the 1970s - around the time of filming - curiosity got the better of him. He was directed to four boxes within the vast Lucasfilm archive, wherein he discovered that over fifty interviews had been conducted between 1975 and 1978 with key members of the cast and crew. These boxes had sat undisturbed for three decades. The interviews were fresh, candid and above all more accurate than many other reported accounts. Interviewees included director George Lucas, producer Gary Kurtz, actors Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, and production designer John Barry (who died in 1979). Conducted long before the movie was released, those interviewed spoke entirely unaware of its future impact and of the direction that their own careers would take. Since 1977, Star Wars has spawned two sequels, three prequels, countless books, comics and video games, as well as television shows and innumerable interviews. But the original story in it's original words has remained untold, until now. With unrestricted access to the archive, Rinzler has created a unique document that is set to become a seminal piece of movie history. It reveals how a small group of gifted artists and craftspeople led by one inspired writer-director overcame obstacles - storms, technical limitations, high stress and bitter disappointment - while enlisting ingenuity, heroism, but most of all dogged determination, to get to the end of their adventure. Featuring breath-taking imagery throughout, this is the true story of the human endeavour and cinematic wizardry that led to the production of one of the most outstanding and innovative films of all time.