News | Entertainment
29 Mar 2024 10:13
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Colin Cantwell, the man who designed the 'Star Wars' spacecraft, has died

    The 90-year-old artist's longterm partner, Sierra Dall, told the Hollywood Reporter that he had passed away at his home in Colorado on Saturday (21.05.22)


    Colin - who studied animation at the University of California and also attended Frank Lloyd Wright's School of Architecture - designed the prototypes for several vessels in the 'Star Wars' series, including the X-wing, TIE Fighter, the Landspeeder and the iconic Death Star. He also created the design of the Tantive IV, which was originally intended to be the Millennium Falcon.

    After a stint working for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on educational films, Colin got to combine his love of both space and architecture when he moved into the film world, striking up a friendship with the late Stanley Kubrick when he landed a job on the director's 1968 film '2001: A Space Odyssey'.

    Colin created the dramatic space opening that followed the movie's "dawn of man" beginning.

    He previously said: "I worked closely with Stanley Kubrick and persuaded him not to start the movie with a 20-minute conference table discussion."

    When it came to his most famous work on 'Star Wars', Colin admitted "a dart being thrown at a target in a British pub gave him the idea for the X-wing, while he accidentally designed the Death Star's meridian trench, which was used by the Alliance and Luke Skywalker in an attack in 'A New Hope'.

    He said in 2016: "I didn't originally plan for the Death Star to have a trench, but when I was working with the mould, I noticed the two halves had shrunk at the point where they met across the middle.

    "It would have taken a week of work just to fill and sand and re-fill this depression. So, to save me the labour, I went to George [Lucas, director] and suggested a trench. He liked the idea so much that it became one of the most iconic moments in the film!"

    Colin also wrote two science fiction novels and worked on the movies 'WarGames' and 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'.

    © 2024 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     29 Mar: Inside Islamic State's transformation, from life support to 'slaughtering with gusto'
     29 Mar: Stephen Colbert regrets being one of the famous faces who stoked conspiracy theories about Catherine, Princess of Wales ahead of her cancer treatment announcement
     29 Mar: John Lydon felt as if he lost "half" of himself when his wife died
     29 Mar: Jessie James Decker's husband Eric has had a vasectomy
     29 Mar: Joely Richardson struggled to find an agent after she turned 50
     29 Mar: Steve Harvey could easily "get rid" of one of his daughter's boyfriends
     29 Mar: King Charles and Queen Camilla will attend the Easter Sunday service at Windsor Castle
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Calls for Rugby Australia to back their women's game from Chiefs Manawa fullback Renee Holmes More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Innovative New Zealand apple producing company Rockit is focussing on its international expansion More...



     Today's News

    Rugby:
    Calls for Rugby Australia to back their women's game from Chiefs Manawa fullback Renee Holmes 10:07

    Tennis:
    The men's semifinals at the Miami Open will feature a rematch of this year's Australian Open final 10:07

    Entertainment:
    Inside Islamic State's transformation, from life support to 'slaughtering with gusto' 9:57

    Entertainment:
    Stephen Colbert regrets being one of the famous faces who stoked conspiracy theories about Catherine, Princess of Wales ahead of her cancer treatment announcement 9:53

    Law and Order:
    Investigations continue after a serious assault at a restaurant in Auckland's Browns Bay shortly before six last night 9:47

    Business:
    Innovative New Zealand apple producing company Rockit is focussing on its international expansion 9:27

    Entertainment:
    John Lydon felt as if he lost "half" of himself when his wife died 9:23

    Golf:
    To a Foxy-finish with a flourish on golf's PGA Tour.. 9:07

    Entertainment:
    Jessie James Decker's husband Eric has had a vasectomy 8:53

    Entertainment:
    Joely Richardson struggled to find an agent after she turned 50 8:23


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2024 New Zealand City Ltd