Disney+ pulled back the curtain on the next chapter of Light & Magic, the docuseries chronicling the history and groundbreaking work of Lucasfilm’s storied visual effects house, Industrial Light & Magic. The trailer and key art for season two were unveiled during a presentation Friday at the Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo, offering the legions of fans who had traveled to Japan for the event an early glimpse at the show’s deep dive into the studio’s most transformative era — the shift to digital filmmaking. The three-part second season of the doc series went live on Disney+ as the Tokyo presentation got underway.
Attendees were treated to video greetings from director Joe Johnston and producer Ron Howard, as well as a highlight reel from the show. A panel discussion followed, moderated by actor and Star Wars alum Sam Witwer (the voice of Darth Maul in Solo: A Star Wars Story) and featuring several figures from across the Lucasfilm brain trust. Among the panelists were Ahmed Best (the actor behind Jar Jar Binks), Lucasfilm president and general manager Lynwen Brennan, ILM’s design guru Doug Chiang, senior VFX supervisor John Knoll, ILM general manager Janet Lewin, and senior animation supervisor Rob Coleman.
The panel was just one part of the packed itinerary at the Japan edition of the Star Wars Celebration, the biennial convention that fêtes all manner of things related to Jedis, Siths, and other creations from the galaxy far, far away. Earlier in the day, Ryan Gosling and director Shawn Levy made waves by unveiling the title and release date for their forthcoming Star Wars spinoff film, Star Wars: Starfighter, followed by Jon Favreau, Star Wars guru Dave Filoni, Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver taking the stage to reveal the first footage of The Mandalorian & Grogu, the feature follow-up to the hit Disney+ series.
Season 2 of Light & Magic, produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Documentaries, zeroes in on a pivotal turning point in the visual effects industry: the dawn of the digital era. The series traces ILM’s various breakthroughs, including the creation of the first fully CG characters and the technical hurdles of digitally simulating natural elements like water. According to producers, the series captures how ILM redefined cinematic storytelling for a new generation despite internal setbacks and widespread industry skepticism,
Directed by Johnston, the new season’s team of executive producers includes Grazer, Howard, Justin Wilkes, Sara Bernstein, Lawrence Kasdan, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, and Carrie Beck, alongside Johnston himself. Jacqui Lopez, Ted Schillinger, and Michael Garcia serve as co-executive producers, with Meredith Kaulfers and Christopher St. John producing, and Nicole Pusateri supervising.
The second of Light & Magic is now streaming exclusively on Disney+.
‘Light & Magic’ season two poster.
Disney