The Little Prince: The Art of the Movie

by Ramin Zahed

The art of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's iconic masterpiece, The Little Prince, has been celebrated around the world for over seventy years. Now, Kung Fu Panda director Mark Osborne has brought the first-ever animated feature film adaptation of the children’s classic to screen, with voice talent that includes Marion Cotillard, James Franco, Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams and Benicio del Toro. This fresh take on a legendary tale blends intricate stop-motion animation with carefully crafted CGI to bring a whole new story to life – that of a little girl forced to grow up too fast in a world that has its priorities backwards. That is, until she meets the Aviator from Saint-Exupéry's story and is drawn into the rich, vibrant world of the Little Prince.

Packed with never-before-seen designs and plenty of behind-the-scenes secrets, The Art of The Little Prince captures the breathtaking magic of the movie. With hundreds of stunning images, this book gives fans an all-access pass to The Little Prince – see how the visuals develop from page to screen, enjoy fascinating insights into the creative process and watch an incredible story unfold through its production art.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published October 27, 2015

About the author

Ramin Zahed is the Editor-in-Chief of the Los Angeles-based monthly publication, Animation magazine. He has been covering the animation and visual effects world for over 15 years. Before joining Animag, he was a senior editor at Daily variety. His articles have also appeared in Variety, Hollywood reporter, The Los Angeles times and The Christian science monitor.

Reviews

[Rezza Dwi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the detail ✨😍

[rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let’s be honest; I’m very biased when it comes to The Little Prince. The movie, which I’ve seen a good amount of times, is one of the only movies that makes me sob like a new born. I can’t believe it took me so many years until I finally got the artbook. And let me tell you: it’s beyond stunning. I fee like we don’t give enough credits to people who work on animation and stop motion movies. This book doesn’t only show the process of the whole movie but also how much work it is to create a movie like this. On top of that is also the challenge of adapting a classic and doing it justice, which this movie totally does in my opinion.

[Rachel E. Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love The Little Prince. It's so simple, yet so deep, and has so many good quotes. I also enjoyed the movie and how they took the story and encompassed it in another story. So it was fun to read this book about how the movie came to be, from look and animation. I enjoy making of and art of books and this one was no exception. A must read if you've seen the movie and like art.

[🌻شهد · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Book 2 read for the reading rush)

I love the movie adaptation of the little prince and this book was just lovely, learning about how this movie was made was such a delight!

[Miss Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I liked that in addition to the concept art, they explained how each part of the film was adapted and each character developed. The love for the original story was so evident.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovingly told, elegantly compiled story of the production process behind the recent film adaptation of The Little Prince. I didn't expect to read it from cover to cover in one sitting, but the full-page illustrations and extensive behind-the-scenes glimpses made it irresistible. Gathered here are tales from set; quotes from the director, artists, and production designers; descriptions of the work that went into creating pivotal scenes in the film; concept art and storyboards; and much more. There's something about seeing the movie's careful creation, and the intentionality and respect for the source material, that makes the final product even more appealing.

Director Mark Osborne, who credits his wife with introducing him to The Little Prince as a way to maintain their connection during a long-distance stretch of their relationship, resisted a straightforward retelling of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's classic tale. As he explains in the introduction, the movie is instead "an adaptation of the emotional experience that one can have with the book, and a tribute to the way the story can affect us and the relationships around us." This explanation helps to frame the film in a way that makes it easier for longterm fans of the story to embrace it. The truth is, it's impossible for a movie to capture the specific, and deeply personal, responses of each reader. The simplest solution was to not make that attempt, but to tell the story of a young girl's introduction to it, showing the ways in which it impacted and transformed her life.

This message comes across in every page of this gorgeous artbook. The love for and dedication to the work is clear, and the extraordinary level of craftsmanship that it displays is inspiring.

[LillyBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never know what to rate books like this. The actual Le Petit Prince is one of my all time favorite books, and I have more than a little trepidation at the idea of movie adaptation. But there's excitement, too, of course, if the film can remotely do it justice. This was a nice book of drawings, both the initial ideas and the sketches those spawned and then some final artwork. I feel like I would probably appreciate it more after seeing the film. There are some things I'm not sure about (like the fox) but some things that really pleased me (like the rose). So, I'll wait and see.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply Amazing. Has the right artwork to text ratio.