'Light & Magic' director talks new docuseries on Disney+
The new docuseries "Light & Magic" on Disney+ takes movie fans behind the scenes of some of the most awe-inspiring moments from cinema history.
The six-part event gives viewers a glimpse into Industrial Light & Magic, the special effects company founded by George Lucas in 1975 when he was working on the first "Star Wars" film nearly 50 years ago.
In addition to making lightsabers a reality and the Millennium Falcon fly through space, ILM has been behind the visual effects for iconic movies such as the T-1000 in 1991's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and the dinosaurs in 1993's "Jurassic Park," as well as the "Avatar" films and numerous Marvel Cinematic Universe offerings.
"Everybody's seen the results of ILM, but no one has really seen what these people are like -- and they're amazing," Lawrence Kasdan, director of "Light & Magic," told "Good Morning America."
Kasdan has a long history with ILM, having co-written numerous "Star Wars" films -- including 1980's "The Empire Strikes Back," 1983's "Return of the Jedi," 2015's "The Force Awakens" and 2018's "Solo" -- and penning the script for the first Indiana Jones movie, 1981's "Raiders of the Lost Ark."
"Light & Magic" features interviews with Hollywood icons like Lucas and Steven Spielberg, as well as the new wave of directors who have made "Star Wars" what it is today, discussing what ILM has done for movies.
"The real truth is that those directors … all have this enormous affection and feeling of responsibility to ILM," Kasdan said. "ILM helped create them."
In turn, the creatives at ILM have also inspired generations of filmmakers -- Kasdan included. That said, the four-time Oscar nominee said his love of cinema started years before ILM was founded and brought him into the fold.
"When I was a kid, when I was about 10 years old, I decided this is what I wanted to do. I wanted to be part of that," Kasdan said. "By luck and by work, I got to be part of that. Still am."
All six parts of "Light & Magic" are streaming now on Disney+.
Lucasfilm is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News and "Good Morning America."
