Brett Northcutt is a digital matte artist employed by Industrial Light & Magic. He is the artist responsible for crafting the visual landscapes of both Utapau and Alderaan, as well as the Emperor Palpatine Surgical Reconstruction Center. Later in his career, he contributed concept art to Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker.
His filmography includes over 30 additional movies, such as X-Men, Hulk, The Truman Show, Jarhead, and, more recently, Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest.
Before moving to California to pursue his aspirations in digital art, Northcutt was a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design and the Art Institute of Chicago. He received instruction from matte artist Chris Evans, who contributed to Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. Northcutt has expressed his admiration for Evans, stating that he "could not have asked for a more skilled or more humble master". In 2001, he became part of ILM, where his initial project was not Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, but rather Gangs of New York. His opportunity to work on Star Wars finally came with Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith.
- Star Wars Insider 87
- Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary
- The Art of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker