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Light & Magic (TV series)

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Light & Magic
GenreDocuseries
Directed by
Music by
  • James Newton Howard (season 1)
  • Micheal Dean Persons (season 2)
  • Xander Rodzinski (season 2)
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes9
Production
Executive producers
Cinematography
  • Nicola Marsh
  • Emily Topper
Editors
  • Mike Long
  • Jonah Moran
  • Anoosh Tertzakian
Running time53–63 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkDisney+
ReleaseJuly 27, 2022 (2022-07-27) –
present

Light & Magic is an American documentary television series. Season 1 directed by Lawrence Kasdan and produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and Imagine Documentaries. The series debuted as a Disney+ Original on July 27, 2022, with all six episodes airing at the same time.[1][2] Season 2 was released on April 18, 2025.[3] It is directed by Joe Johnston.

Premise

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The series recounts the history of the motion picture visual effects company Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) from its founding in 1975 to its key role in the development of visual effects in filmmaking.[4]

Episodes

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Series overview

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SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
16July 27, 2022 (2022-07-27)
23April 18, 2025 (2025-04-18)

Season 1 (2022)

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No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected by [5]Original release date [5]
11"Gang of Outsiders"Lawrence KasdanJuly 27, 2022 (2022-07-27)
An unlikely team comes together to create the effects for a new space film called "The Star Wars".
22"On the Bucking Bronco"Lawrence KasdanJuly 27, 2022 (2022-07-27)
George Lucas's whole life has been leading to Star Wars, but can ILM finish the job on time?
33"Just Think About It"Lawrence KasdanJuly 27, 2022 (2022-07-27)
ILM moves north to face a daunting task: creating a sequel to the most successful film of all time.
44"I Think I Found My People"Lawrence KasdanJuly 27, 2022 (2022-07-27)
It's the era of the 80s blockbuster and ILM is thriving, but revolution is on the horizon.
55"Morfing"Lawrence KasdanJuly 27, 2022 (2022-07-27)
The digital age brings new challenges to ILM, but not everyone is ready for such massive change.
66"No More Pretending You're Dinosaurs"Lawrence KasdanJuly 27, 2022 (2022-07-27)
CG finally comes into its own with "Jurassic Park", paving the way for a new era of innovation.

Season 2 (2025)

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No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected by [5]Original release date [5]
71"Are We Ready for This?"Joe JohnstonApril 18, 2025 (2025-04-18)
After a decade away from Star Wars, George Lucas returns to ILM with a new impossible task.
82"There Must Be a Better Way"Joe JohnstonApril 18, 2025 (2025-04-18)
As George Lucas tries to convince Hollywood to go digital, ILM takes on wind, and a CG Yoda.
93"There's No Going Back"Joe JohnstonApril 18, 2025 (2025-04-18)
ILM is no longer the only game in town. To stay on top, they'll have to change the game yet again.

Release

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The series premiered on Disney+ on July 27, 2022,[6] with season 2 released on April 18, 2025.[3]

Reception

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Critical response

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Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 100% based on 13 reviews, with an average rating of 8.8/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Documenting the rise of ILM with comprehensive attention to detail, Light & Magic is a worthy salute to the elbow grease that goes into moviemaking and an absolute treat for fans of cinematic wizardry."[7]

Brian Lowry of CNN stated Lawrence Kasdan manages to depict a thoughtful, entertaining, and detailed look at the creation of special effects across the documentary series, and found it to be an ambitious and deep take on how ILM's special effects can make an impact.[8] Jim Hemphill of IndieWire found that Kasdan succeeds to narrate a broad story dealing with advanced technologies across a personal lens, saying the documentary follows the evolution of Lucasfilm Ltd and its employees in a moving, entertaining, and profound manner.[9]

Stephanie Morgan of Common Sense Media rated the documentary four out of five stars, applauded the educational value, calling the behind-the-scenes fascinating, and praised the depiction of positive messages and role models, citing ingenuity, perseverance, and teamwork, while taking note of the diverse representations.[10] Tara Bennett of IGN rated the series seven out of ten, called George Lucas' creation of Lucasfilm Ltd a compelling story, and stated the company succeeds to depict its impact on the movie industry across Light & Magic, but found the series too condensed, saying the documentary is too short to unfold Lucasfilm Ltd's full story.[11]

Accolades

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James Newton Howard received a nomination for Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score) for the episode "Gang of Outsiders" at the 75th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.[12][13]

References

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  1. ^ Breznican, Anthony (July 28, 2021). "Industrial Light & Magic Was Basically Animal House Back in the '70s". Vanity Fair. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  2. ^ Hemphill, Jim (July 29, 2022). "'Light & Magic': Lawrence Kasdan Reunites with George Lucas to Tell the Story of ILM – Toolkit". IndieWire. Archived from the original on August 3, 2022. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Blevins, Adam (March 13, 2025). "'Light & Magic' Season 2 Is Coming Much Sooner Than We Thought [Exclusive]". Collider. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
  4. ^ "DISNEY+ RELEASES TRAILER AND KEY ART FOR LUCASFILM AND IMAGINE DOCUMENTARIES' "LIGHT & MAGIC"". Industrial Light & Magic. July 7, 2022. Archived from the original on August 8, 2022. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d "Light & Magic – Listings". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  6. ^ Cavanaugh, Patrick (July 7, 2022). "Disney+ Releases Light & Magic Trailer". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2022. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  7. ^ "Light & Magic". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on August 3, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  8. ^ Brian Lowry (July 27, 2022). "'Light & Magic' charts the visual-effects revolution from 'Star Wars' to 'Jurassic Park'". CNN. Archived from the original on August 3, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  9. ^ Hemphill, Jim (July 29, 2022). "'Light & Magic': Lawrence Kasdan Reunites with George Lucas to Tell the Story of ILM – Toolkit". IndieWire. Archived from the original on August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  10. ^ "Light & Magic TV Review | Common Sense Media". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  11. ^ Bennett, Tara (July 27, 2022). "Light & Magic Review". IGN. Archived from the original on August 2, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  12. ^ "75th Emmy Awards Complete Nominations List" (PDF). Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  13. ^ Grein, Paul (July 12, 2023). "2023 Primetime Emmy Nominees in the 7 Music Categories: Complete List". Billboard. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
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