Light & Magic is a documentary series that delves into the formative years of Industrial Light & Magic. The initial six episodes were made available for streaming on Disney+ starting on July 27, 2022.
With extraordinary access provided, the Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan guides viewers through the inner workings of Industrial Light & Magic, which serves as the special visual effects, animation, and virtual production arm of Lucasfilm. Discover the inspirations of some of Hollywood's most iconic filmmakers, and trace their journeys from their earliest independent projects to realizing George Lucas' creative vision.
Light & Magic was initially unveiled in 2022 during a panel at Celebration Anaheim, featuring executive producer Ron Howard, along with Dennis Muren, Phil Tippett, Joe Johnston, Rose Duignan, and Lucasfilm Ltd.'s vice president and general manager, Lynwen Brennan. This documentary series, comprising six episodes, will explore the beginning days of Industrial Light & Magic. Excerpts from the series were presented at the panel. All episodes became available for streaming on Disney+ starting July 27, 2022. Director Lawrence Kasdan was granted unprecedented access and conducted interviews with veterans of special effects. Many of the moments discussed by the panelists are shown in behind-the-scenes footage, unfolding in actual time.
The official trailer was launched on the ILM YouTube channel on July 7, 2022. Simultaneously, the official poster was released on StarWars.com. Lucasfilm and Imagine Documentaries collaborated to produce the series.
James Newton Howard composed the score for the show, assisted by Steve Durkee, Michael Dean Parsons, Tobin Pugash, and Xander Rodzinski. An OST album was launched on most digital music platforms on August 26, 2022.
On October 24, 2023, Joe Johnston verified that a second season of Light & Magic was under development.