Drew Struzan is a legend in Hollywood having painted some of the most iconic posters in movie history. Now he’s back in the news with the release of his newest work of art. A poster for the new Star Wars Film “
The Force Awakens”.
Movie Weekly’s Richard de Carvalho spoke with the iconic artist about the poster, the film, JJ Abrams, and his technique. Here are some of the Highlights.
When asked how the new piece came to be the artist shared this story.
“Well, see it started about a year ago or more, a year and a half ago. I got a call from J.J. Abrams who I have never met, and he was in England shooting the film and he goes ‘Hi, I’ve always loved the work’ and Blah, Blah, Blah, sounding like you, you know, like a fanboy (laughs)…”
Struzan then continued “…And we were talking along and he just goes ‘…Well, would you?’ and I said ‘…If I was asked.’ And that was the conversation (laughs). By the end of it, there were no other words. So about a year later, we get together and meet and he says we’re using all the original people - John Williams, Kasdan, Harrison Ford’s in it, everybody’s in it and everybody’s writing and making the music and we have to have your art to make it the real thing. So, of course, I’ve got to do it for George and I’ve got to do it for Star Wars. I’ve never worked with J.J before and so we started working on it and he showed me like half the movie and it was just… a wonderful film and I know it’s going to be grand. I got to read the script and subsequently I’ve seen half of it and I can tell you and the fans this, Honest to god, it is far and away probably going to be THE BEST Star Wars you’ve ever seen.”
That means a lot coming from him. What about that possible spoiler on the poster? Was there much discussion about putting a lightsaber in Finn’s hands among him, J.J, and the studio?
“Ah, none what so ever (laughs). I worked for seven months on all different kinds of concepts with the studio and J.J and if you really want to know the sacred truth, after I got started and I saw the film and read the script, I was going over it in my mind for weeks - How do I feel about it? How can I represent this film really well? And I did this, like many creatives do, I came up with the concept in my sleep. Just like John Lennon used to write his best music in his sleep, I designed my painting in my sleep. That was the first one I did and I went for seven months doing stuff and in the end, guess which one they picked? The very first thing I did (laughs). So trust your sleep because that’s what I came up with and that’s what they loved from the very beginning. To me it represents the film. The spirit of the film, the new characters, the battle again to find the truth, to grow up, to find the purpose in life. It’s all those things that Star Wars had to be and is still. And I hope to represent that again to a new generation..”
On depicting both the Dark and Light side of the Force He said this.
I think you put the good next to the bad and the good looks better and the bad looks worse. (laughs) That is the story of humanity, is it not? That it’s our choice. Which side we’re going to choose to be on and the battle that goes on between the two. I think what’s lovely about literature, art and Star Wars is that the good prevails by being good. Good is always stronger than the bad and that’s what makes it a beautifully universal theme and I’ve got to show that’s still our Star Wars.
Struzan goes on to talk about his process, career, and if he’d ever consider painting digitally. You can read the entire interview
here. So what do you guys think? This is a man who has been around Star Wars since its inception. Share your thoughts below as always.