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The Art of Star Wars
The Art of Solo: A Star Wars Story
The Lucasfilm art department invites you on an immersive journey through and among the worlds and characters of Solo: A Star Wars Story, the eagerly anticipated second instalment in the Star Wars Anthology Series, a collection of standalone tales set in the same beloved universe fans have called home for decades. The plot centres on the young adulthood of streetwise smuggler Han Solo and his partner in crime, Chewbacca, who were first introduced in Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope (1977). Directed by Academy Award®-winner Rob Howard and featuring a screenplay by legendary Star Wars writer Lawrence Kasdan (cowriter of The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Return of the Jedi, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and his son Jon Kasdan (director of In the Land of Women), the film stars Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover, Amelia Clarke, and Woody Harrelson.
The Art of Solo: A Star Wars Story chronicles the evolution of each new fantastical set, otherworldly machine, and unforgettable character in the film. From the earliest gathering of artists and production designers to post-production, this book offers unprecedented access to Lucasfilm’s creative process.
Packed with hundreds of spectacular images, including production paintings, concept art and sketches, storyboards, and matte paintings, The Art of Solo: A Star Wars Story will be the definitive guide to the art of the film—and a must-have keepsake for Star Wars fans and cineastes alike.
The Art of Solo: A Star Wars Story chronicles the evolution of each new fantastical set, otherworldly machine, and unforgettable character in the film. From the earliest gathering of artists and production designers to post-production, this book offers unprecedented access to Lucasfilm’s creative process.
Packed with hundreds of spectacular images, including production paintings, concept art and sketches, storyboards, and matte paintings, The Art of Solo: A Star Wars Story will be the definitive guide to the art of the film—and a must-have keepsake for Star Wars fans and cineastes alike.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published May 25, 2018
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269 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 21, 2018
First of all let me address the elephant in the room (to quote such an over used phrase) the film is far better than I expected and deserves more interest than it did.
That aside this is the latest in the now Abrams series of Disney art of Star Wars books. It follows the now standard format (hardback and landscape profile) of all the other Disney art work books, which incidentally also appear to have been adopted by many other art work books as well.
The book charts the development of the film and considering how tortuous this films production has been it is quite insightful in to the whole story.
To that end you get to see artwork from alternate storylines, scenes and even characters which for various reasons did not make it in to the film cut.
This book shows what a wealth of material that could have been used which if there is enough will in the studio could allow them to revisit the world of Solo.
For me I think one of the things which I enjoyed most about the film and this book is the eye for detail - there are so many references and details which you can see transition in to the original films so smoothly. Yes they were intentionally put there but its not like some films where you are beaten over the head by them or they were so subtle that you always feel you deserve a prize for spotting them. Here they just follow as if in fact this was part of the original production.
So in short if you love your star wars concept art - and I am a total sucker for them - then this book is a great addition. I just hope time will be kind to the film and give it sort of recognition it deserved.
That aside this is the latest in the now Abrams series of Disney art of Star Wars books. It follows the now standard format (hardback and landscape profile) of all the other Disney art work books, which incidentally also appear to have been adopted by many other art work books as well.
The book charts the development of the film and considering how tortuous this films production has been it is quite insightful in to the whole story.
To that end you get to see artwork from alternate storylines, scenes and even characters which for various reasons did not make it in to the film cut.
This book shows what a wealth of material that could have been used which if there is enough will in the studio could allow them to revisit the world of Solo.
For me I think one of the things which I enjoyed most about the film and this book is the eye for detail - there are so many references and details which you can see transition in to the original films so smoothly. Yes they were intentionally put there but its not like some films where you are beaten over the head by them or they were so subtle that you always feel you deserve a prize for spotting them. Here they just follow as if in fact this was part of the original production.
So in short if you love your star wars concept art - and I am a total sucker for them - then this book is a great addition. I just hope time will be kind to the film and give it sort of recognition it deserved.
October 3, 2018
I wasn't as interested in the intricacies of this film as I am with other SW movies but this was interesting. I wish they had went with a more alien look for Qi'ra but whatevs.
June 11, 2018
Looking at the production of “Solo” from start to finish (without mentioning the directorial shift around once), this highlights the concept art and processes as led by James Clyne (he works for the ILM Art Department, as you’ll be told several times) and Neil Lamont (whose dad, Peter Lamont, designed every Bond film from “For Your Eyes Only” to “Goldeneye”, the 90’s/00’s era James Cameron films, won an Oscar for “Titanic” but is described as having a ‘storied’ career). Beautifully designed, as these Lucasfilm/Abrams books invariably are, this is full of gorgeous imagery (with little of the rough-shod CGI stuff that blighted the “Last Jedi” artbook) and it’s presented in order of production, with small chapter headings by Szostak giving us some behind the details information. There’s an interesting aesthetic choice, pushing the imagery back to the 60s (if “Rogue One” was the 70s and “New Hope” era, this should be “THX 1138”/”2001” which works perfectly) and while the designers go back to the well that is the late, great Ralph McQuarrie, they also cherry pick designs from Colin Cantwell, which is interesting. A very good book except, as with all of these, it’s let down by Szostak, who’s competent enough but has no real flair, likes the term ‘reaching out’ and often forgets to tailor some of the image descriptions to remove the bits where the interviewee is talking directly to him. Worth it for the artwork, just don’t pay too much attention to the words.
June 19, 2018
Well, I loved Solo and I love these Art Of books, so this one is a match made in heaven for me...
I would like to have seen some information about what changed with the directorial departure/changeover as this is the only book that covers Solo's production, but I can certainly understand why they didn't want to touch that one.
I would like to have seen some information about what changed with the directorial departure/changeover as this is the only book that covers Solo's production, but I can certainly understand why they didn't want to touch that one.
November 20, 2019
This book is stunning, and the way it explores the driving themes and aesthetic principles behind "Solo" is fascinating (for example, the film's journey across planets that bear similarities to the topography you'd find on an East-to-West USA road trip; the 60's influences, as this is set ten years prior to 1977's original Star Wars film, etc).
I love these books, and while this film is not my favourite of the new era, I do think it's a stronger film than its box office returns and notoriety would suggest. It's really cool to see the level of intention, detail, imagination, and practicality that infuses the creation of these stories, these characters, and these worlds.
I love these books, and while this film is not my favourite of the new era, I do think it's a stronger film than its box office returns and notoriety would suggest. It's really cool to see the level of intention, detail, imagination, and practicality that infuses the creation of these stories, these characters, and these worlds.
June 20, 2018
Lovely to revisit one of my favorite Star Wars films by way of concept art and behind the scenes text. Still, makes me wish decisions about character deaths were different
April 28, 2021
My son had a long nap today which gave me time to read this. Gorgeous art!
August 12, 2018
I saw a review for this so picked it up. Really nice artwork behind the scenes!. Will get the other ones also now.
January 28, 2021
My overall feeling of this book was disappointment in the vision of the artists. The artwork itself is really good and sometimes fantastic, but that's a pretty low bar for me for a book on the art of a movie. My favorite parts of these books is to see the ideas that didn't make the cut. Sometimes the ideas clearly seem pretty bad, but they are almost universally creative. That is not the case for much of this book.
The beauty of how the original trilogy treated the ideas that inspired it is that it wasn't insanely obvious. Lucas was very inspired by a Japanese director named Kurosawa (or something close to that) and specifically one of his movies about samurai. You can see this inspiration if you look for it in how Obi-Wan Kenobi and later other Jedi dress. They look vaguely like a samurai at leisure. But when Obi-Wan Kenobi first appears to Luke, probably not a single person thought, "Why is there a samurai in this science fiction movie?" You don't really make the connection until you read about it or if you start comparing the Jedi Code to real world groups like the Samurai. Another example is dogfights in WWII. Lucas based the filming style for the fight over the death star on dogfights from WWII. You'll notice though, that x-wings look nothing like any planes in WWII. It was the thought and style that inspired him. The closest he came to taking directly from WWII was the turrets on the Millennium Falcon looking like they came off a B-52. Even then, this is something that really only stands out when you've read how much we was inspired by WWII and you can see that the look of the turret wasn't because that's how it looked in WWII, but because it allowed him to film the scenes in a more exciting manner.
The creative minds for this movie, at least as they are shown in this book, are sadly far different. They seem to see an inspiration and try to insert it directly into the movie. I imagine, if Lucas had been involved, their suggestions going something like this:
Lucas: "Alright. I'm envisioning a real dirty and vicious battle scene like the Battle of the Somme."
Artists: "Cool. I'll draw up a picture of some German flak guns."
Lucas: "What? No, not literally like that."
Artists: "......Ok. I'll put some legs on it?"
Lucas: "Whatever. Forget France. Imagine a battle like on the Eastern front of WWII between the Russians and Germans, fighting in the frozen mud in a desperate battle to the death."
Artists: "Oh my God, I love it. I know just the thing. Here's Beckett in a Russian fur hat!"
Those aren't exaggerations. There is really a picture of Beckett in a Russian fur hat and a piece of artillery based on a German flak gun that looks like they put AT-ST legs on a German flak gun. There are a couple of times where they talk about technological capabilities or something along those lines and they'll say, "This story is set 10 years before A New Hope, which was made in the 70's. So we went with a 60's look." Perhaps the worst example is how they were thinking this was like a western movie, so they literally had the idea (I can't remember if it is this way in the movie or not) that one of the main characters has a revolver. It's all silver and has a scope, but it is still a literal revolver. That kind of thinking is throughout the entire book. It isn't the themes of westerns or maybe certain types of imagery. They think, "It's a western. I'll give him a gun that is in westerns." I'm shocked he didn't walk around with spurs, drink whiskey in saloons with swinging doors, and wear a cowboy hat. Again, the original Star Wars didn't do stupid stuff like this. They repurposed almost everything from real-world objects, but it worked because you couldn't tell. It was disguised and changed enough that it became its own thing.
This book was so different from all the other Art of Star Wars books I've read so far. They all had bold ideas that were fun to think about and admire. If you told these people to create a creature that was like a science fiction alien tiger, they would give it stripes.
The quality of the artwork itself is still as good as any that is done digitally (I have it on a significantly lower rung than actual paintings). I did enjoy quite a bit of the concept art that was creative, but I was overwhelmed by my disappointment in how they often directly used what inspired them instead of letting that inspiration lead them to creating something of their own. I'm also confused why there doesn't seem to be any details about the changes made to the movie with different actors, writers, and directors. I would've liked to know more detail on that. For instance, it would've been cool knowing that Kira was going to be an alien (which they have some artwork for) when this director was their but then Ron Howard came and changed it. I have no idea if that is the case, but that would've been pretty interesting to see how the changes altered the final movie. If you didn't know that stuff had happened though, this book certainly wouldn't fill you in.
I hated Solo the movie, which I consider to be an abomination , but I don't think my negative attitude towards the movie would mean I couldn't enjoy the artwork of this book. If you love the movie, then maybe you wouldn't be as bothered as I was about the lack of creativity.
The beauty of how the original trilogy treated the ideas that inspired it is that it wasn't insanely obvious. Lucas was very inspired by a Japanese director named Kurosawa (or something close to that) and specifically one of his movies about samurai. You can see this inspiration if you look for it in how Obi-Wan Kenobi and later other Jedi dress. They look vaguely like a samurai at leisure. But when Obi-Wan Kenobi first appears to Luke, probably not a single person thought, "Why is there a samurai in this science fiction movie?" You don't really make the connection until you read about it or if you start comparing the Jedi Code to real world groups like the Samurai. Another example is dogfights in WWII. Lucas based the filming style for the fight over the death star on dogfights from WWII. You'll notice though, that x-wings look nothing like any planes in WWII. It was the thought and style that inspired him. The closest he came to taking directly from WWII was the turrets on the Millennium Falcon looking like they came off a B-52. Even then, this is something that really only stands out when you've read how much we was inspired by WWII and you can see that the look of the turret wasn't because that's how it looked in WWII, but because it allowed him to film the scenes in a more exciting manner.
The creative minds for this movie, at least as they are shown in this book, are sadly far different. They seem to see an inspiration and try to insert it directly into the movie. I imagine, if Lucas had been involved, their suggestions going something like this:
Lucas: "Alright. I'm envisioning a real dirty and vicious battle scene like the Battle of the Somme."
Artists: "Cool. I'll draw up a picture of some German flak guns."
Lucas: "What? No, not literally like that."
Artists: "......Ok. I'll put some legs on it?"
Lucas: "Whatever. Forget France. Imagine a battle like on the Eastern front of WWII between the Russians and Germans, fighting in the frozen mud in a desperate battle to the death."
Artists: "Oh my God, I love it. I know just the thing. Here's Beckett in a Russian fur hat!"
Those aren't exaggerations. There is really a picture of Beckett in a Russian fur hat and a piece of artillery based on a German flak gun that looks like they put AT-ST legs on a German flak gun. There are a couple of times where they talk about technological capabilities or something along those lines and they'll say, "This story is set 10 years before A New Hope, which was made in the 70's. So we went with a 60's look." Perhaps the worst example is how they were thinking this was like a western movie, so they literally had the idea (I can't remember if it is this way in the movie or not) that one of the main characters has a revolver. It's all silver and has a scope, but it is still a literal revolver. That kind of thinking is throughout the entire book. It isn't the themes of westerns or maybe certain types of imagery. They think, "It's a western. I'll give him a gun that is in westerns." I'm shocked he didn't walk around with spurs, drink whiskey in saloons with swinging doors, and wear a cowboy hat. Again, the original Star Wars didn't do stupid stuff like this. They repurposed almost everything from real-world objects, but it worked because you couldn't tell. It was disguised and changed enough that it became its own thing.
This book was so different from all the other Art of Star Wars books I've read so far. They all had bold ideas that were fun to think about and admire. If you told these people to create a creature that was like a science fiction alien tiger, they would give it stripes.
The quality of the artwork itself is still as good as any that is done digitally (I have it on a significantly lower rung than actual paintings). I did enjoy quite a bit of the concept art that was creative, but I was overwhelmed by my disappointment in how they often directly used what inspired them instead of letting that inspiration lead them to creating something of their own. I'm also confused why there doesn't seem to be any details about the changes made to the movie with different actors, writers, and directors. I would've liked to know more detail on that. For instance, it would've been cool knowing that Kira was going to be an alien (which they have some artwork for) when this director was their but then Ron Howard came and changed it. I have no idea if that is the case, but that would've been pretty interesting to see how the changes altered the final movie. If you didn't know that stuff had happened though, this book certainly wouldn't fill you in.
I hated Solo the movie, which I consider to be an abomination , but I don't think my negative attitude towards the movie would mean I couldn't enjoy the artwork of this book. If you love the movie, then maybe you wouldn't be as bothered as I was about the lack of creativity.
August 22, 2018
As always, these art books are a great peak behind the scenes. Unfortunately, the book goes out of its way to avoid talking about the behind the scenes problems that plagued this film. There is absolutely no mention of any of the directors (neither Lord & Miller, nor Howard). This seems disingenuous given that the director is the one who chooses the look of the film. There's nothing about what any of the directors thought about the concept art or designs. Other than that, great book.
October 9, 2019
The artwork and concept design are briliant, but the book simply ignores the change in directors and how that may have affected the visual design. For example, for the reshoots Paul Bettany replaced Michael K. Wiliams as villain Dryden Vos. In the book we only get a design for Bettany as the character, nothing of the original design for Williams. Ingnoring the changes takes away much of the book's value as a chronicle of the visual development of the film.
June 27, 2020
Even though none of these books spend any significant amount of time in discussing any of the minutia of the actual production, the overwhelming silence with regard to the much belabored production of the film is extremely conspicuous by its obsessive disregard of this most monumental elephant in the room. (oddly, and even though it is something of a minority opinion, the movie turned out surprisingly well, and was a hell of a lot more fun (and of an overall better quality) than it is popularly given credit for)
Nevertheless, the spectrum of visual cues that are presented throughout the book are marvelous to look at, appealingly laid out, and easy to appreciate. Oddly, and in spite of the paranoid refusal to acknowledge any directorial changes, the book does throw some illumination toward the design ethos that ran throughout the film - with its attention to "period" influences of the 60s and early 70s, as well as a focus upon providing for a planetary sweep that echoes the east-west progression of the American continent. Small touches, but little things like that really do make you consider some of what is in the film with a greater awareness, and that is a pretty nifty trick.
Nevertheless, the spectrum of visual cues that are presented throughout the book are marvelous to look at, appealingly laid out, and easy to appreciate. Oddly, and in spite of the paranoid refusal to acknowledge any directorial changes, the book does throw some illumination toward the design ethos that ran throughout the film - with its attention to "period" influences of the 60s and early 70s, as well as a focus upon providing for a planetary sweep that echoes the east-west progression of the American continent. Small touches, but little things like that really do make you consider some of what is in the film with a greater awareness, and that is a pretty nifty trick.
January 5, 2021
This series of Star Wars art books are wonderful to behold. They are beautiful tomes and this one for Solo includes some incredible pieces...
But its not quite as good as the others.
Perhaps that's just a personal opinion coloured by the fact that it's not my favourite of the recent films.
But nonetheless, it's no secret that the film went through a number of changes along the way. And yet there's next to no reference in the book to the change of directors, the change of certain actors or evidently the change in direction for the story.
Whilst this book's primary concern is to feature the art and so behind the scenes drama may not seem as important, I cant help feeling there is somewhat of a missed opportunity here.
What makes these art books so fascinating is to see the evolution of ideas and why certain decisions were made.
As it is there is still a lot of terrific art here and fans will surely get a kick out of it.
But its not quite as good as the others.
Perhaps that's just a personal opinion coloured by the fact that it's not my favourite of the recent films.
But nonetheless, it's no secret that the film went through a number of changes along the way. And yet there's next to no reference in the book to the change of directors, the change of certain actors or evidently the change in direction for the story.
Whilst this book's primary concern is to feature the art and so behind the scenes drama may not seem as important, I cant help feeling there is somewhat of a missed opportunity here.
What makes these art books so fascinating is to see the evolution of ideas and why certain decisions were made.
As it is there is still a lot of terrific art here and fans will surely get a kick out of it.
June 8, 2018
The Lucasfilm art department invites you on an immersive journey through and among the worlds and characters of Solo: A Star Wars Story, the eagerly anticipated second instalment in the Star Wars Anthology Series, a collection of standalone tales set in the same beloved universe fans have called home for decades. The plot centres on the young adulthood of streetwise smuggler Han Solo and his partner in crime, Chewbacca, who were first introduced in Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope (1977). Directed by Academy Award®-winner Rob Howard and featuring a screenplay by legendary Star Wars writer Lawrence Kasdan (cowriter of The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Return of the Jedi, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and his son Jon Kasdan (director of In the Land of Women), the film stars Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover, Amelia Clarke, and Woody Harrelson.
June 5, 2020
Awesome book. Lucky to nab it just before lockdown and not need to rush it back to the library unfinished (like the prior time I borrowed it)/ Shame that Miller and Lord have been completely scrubbed from the record (shame that they were scrubbed from the MOVIE!), but if there is one thing this book does, it is that is shows the phenomenal volume of individuals who contribute to movie making on this scale. Particularly the PRE-production, which this basically looks at – the visual design elements especially. I loved all this design stuff, especially the Falcon, but MOSTLY what I loved about this book is the way it reveals LOTS about how the story itself was developed and changed and moulded over time. I adore the movie, obvs, but there’s also bits and pieces they DIDN’T run with that I’d love to see it places beyond my eternal daydreams.
9/10
9/10
June 9, 2020
Some believe reading a behind-the-scenes (or what went into the film) book pertaining to a film like any in the "Star Wars" franchise takes away from the magic of the movie. Me? Such books add to the scope of the film. That's exactly what The Art of Solo: A Star Wars Story has done for me and my appreciation of the movie. To read about the many incarnations that preceded the final product, to see an assortment of those incarnations, and to hear about the process in the artists' own words was a wonderful experience for someone who both loved the film and loves to read. Because this is a book that looks at the film from an artistic vantage point, the magic of "Solo: A Star Wars Story" is not diminished. And that can make all the difference. ;-)
Happy Reading. :-)
Happy Reading. :-)
June 3, 2018
My favourite part of all these new Star Wars films is these art books (oh and the films themselves... and the new Lego sets). Fascinating to see how the look (and plot) of the films developed.
I found it curious, but understandable, that this book doesn’t mention the directors by name. Would be interesting to know what Lord and Miller’s influence on the film were.
I found it curious, but understandable, that this book doesn’t mention the directors by name. Would be interesting to know what Lord and Miller’s influence on the film were.
November 27, 2018
Just like the previous books in this series, it provides early concept art of weapons, clothing, ships, and planets that ended up in the final film. It's really cool to see how everything progressed along.
It's a huge book with beautiful, glossy pages with plenty of text to help explain what the thought was behind most art. If you're a fan of the movie, I definitely think this is worth your time.
It's a huge book with beautiful, glossy pages with plenty of text to help explain what the thought was behind most art. If you're a fan of the movie, I definitely think this is worth your time.
June 10, 2018
There aren't better art books out there than the Star Wars ones. I love a good coffee book full of behind the scenes stuff and concept artwork, but all the Star Wars "Art Of" collections are a cut above the rest.
March 5, 2025
It is easy to take the complex art direction behind these movies for granted; in this case, it was neat to see how artists took from 60s inspirations to help contextualize Solo as happening before A New Hope.
June 6, 2018
Regardless of your feelings about the movie(I liked it) this book is in excellent look at the process and concept art behind the making of Solo.
June 8, 2018
Beautiful art and fascinating look at the progression of the movie. Lots of typos and grammatical mistakes in the chapter intros that were jarring to read.
June 17, 2018
Another great addition to the Art of series.
June 28, 2018
The best thing about these "Art of..." books is getting a look at all the art that went into the making of the movie, especially those concepts that finally didn't make it into the movie.
August 16, 2018
A spectacular look at the development of the look and feel of the film.
January 1, 2019
5 stars
By far, one of the most gorgeous film art books I've seen. Amazing artwork and plenty of behind the scenes concepts from the initial rough draft to the final version. A wonderful read!😊
By far, one of the most gorgeous film art books I've seen. Amazing artwork and plenty of behind the scenes concepts from the initial rough draft to the final version. A wonderful read!😊
October 22, 2019
I liked this book; it was informative of the film's production.
Read
December 4, 2019All of the Abrams-published art books for the recent Star Wars films are gorgeous and informative, and The Art of Solo is no exception.
June 14, 2020
A big book of beautiful concept art from the movie.
September 11, 2018
Whether you like the 'Solo' movie or not, this art book, much like all the previous ones that have been release alongside the movies, is quite a treat. Yes, it doesn't mention much regarding the firing of Phil Lord and Chris Miller and the hiring of Ron Howard --I hope that DOES get mentioned in the already-announced 'making of' book--, but apart from that, 'The Art of Solo: a Star Wars Story' does give you a look inside the creative process of making a complicated and fantastical motion picture. I personally liked the film quite a bit, but even if you didn't, this book will make you realise it was made with a lot of sweat and tears and time and, in general, a lot of effort.
The fact that they were trying to tell Han's story through the visualisation of the journey from east to west (from an industrial city to the far west, to the desert) is quite intriguing, as well as all the concept art and, as usual, all the unused ideas and character looks. Yes, some of these concepts *seem* to be more interesting than what we ended up with, but that tends to happen with ANY movie. In any case, this is a book made with love, with dedication, that serves to show that all the unwanted hate towards 'Solo' is MAYBE a little too much. If you're a fan, you definitely have to check this one out.
The fact that they were trying to tell Han's story through the visualisation of the journey from east to west (from an industrial city to the far west, to the desert) is quite intriguing, as well as all the concept art and, as usual, all the unused ideas and character looks. Yes, some of these concepts *seem* to be more interesting than what we ended up with, but that tends to happen with ANY movie. In any case, this is a book made with love, with dedication, that serves to show that all the unwanted hate towards 'Solo' is MAYBE a little too much. If you're a fan, you definitely have to check this one out.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews