Light & Magic * A Breathtaking, Behind‑The‑Scenes Portrait Of Special Effects’ Pioneers And A View Into The Everyday Life Of A Filmmaker
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025Light & Magic is an American documentary television series directed by Lawrence Kasdan and produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and Imagine Documentaries showcasing the people of Industrial Light and Magic, the special effects division of Lucasfilm, this series takes us back in time as they create the effects for some of the biggest and most successful films of the last 45 years.
KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Jackson N. comments, “Light and Magic: Season 2 offers a breathtaking, behind‑the‑scenes portrait of filmmaking’s pioneers and a view into the everyday life of a filmmaker. Blending archival footage with candid interviews, the series lets you look inside the creative sparks that modernized movie magic.” Ari C. adds, “I love Light & Magic: Season 2. It is enticing, informative and offers great insights into the world of visual effects. It is very fun to see the various challenges the team at Industrial Light and Magic team faced over the years, while maintaining its light and welcoming community.” Isabella V. wraps it up with, “The presentation of the information in this series is incredible; it reveals the story in chronological order, leading to great pacing and immersion. I found myself getting invested at so many points thanks to not knowing what may happen next, even when I knew how the films turned out in the end.” See their full reviews below.
Light and Magic: Season 2
By Jackson N., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12
Light and Magic: Season 2 offers a breathtaking, behind‑the‑scenes portrait of filmmaking’s pioneers and a view into the everyday life of a filmmaker. Blending archival footage with candid interviews, the series lets you look inside the creative sparks that modernized movie magic. As a die‑hard Star Wars fan and someone curious about cinematic innovation, I found myself riveted by insider glimpses into the making of The Phantom Menace and other iconic blockbusters.
This three episode series shows what it was like to be one of the key innovators in the movie industry in the 1990s. This season delves into the pivotal work of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) in the aftermath of the hit film Star Wars: A New Hope. Beyond the technical marvels, Light and Magic: Season 2 emphasizes the human spirit behind the art. Discussions range from how teams found new ways to make cinematic magic happen together to what happens when a director like Steven Spielberg calls with a big, seemingly impossible ask and a tight deadline.

Sketches from a scene of Lucasfilm’s LIGHT & MAGIC, Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. © 2025 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.
George Lucas, one of the most prolific moviemakers and the founder of Industrial Light & Magic, Joe Johnston, director of Captain America: The First Avenger, and their visionary colleagues recount the challenges of pushing technical boundaries—transforming months of effects work into seconds of onscreen wonder. From Yoda’s subtle puppet movements to the world’s love/hate relationship with Jar Jar Binks, every frame illustrates ILM’s commitment to joy, innovation, and persistence. For anyone who loves the magic of movies or aspires to work in the film business, this gives the inside scoop. The interviews with the animators reveal moments of doubt, breakthroughs, and camaraderie—reminding aspiring filmmakers that no dream is too ambitious. Whether you are a fan of The Mask, Twister, or Jurassic Park, this series will deepen your understanding of what the effects people went through to make the films that we know and love today.
The film’s message is that just because something hasn’t been done yet, it doesn’t mean that it can’t be done. This show includes themes of joy, innovation, and persistence. Parents should be aware that there is a candid discussion about mental health and a brief mention of suicidal thoughts.
Light and Magic: Season 2 gets 5 out of 5 stars from me and I recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. Season 2 debuts on Disney+ on April 18, 2025.
Light & Magic: Season 2
By Ari C., KIDS FIRST Film Critics, age 12

(L-R): George Lucas, Doug Chiang, and John Knoll in a scene from Lucasfilm’s LIGHT & MAGIC, Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. © 2025 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.
I love Light & Magic: Season 2. It is enticing, informative and offers great insights into the world of visual effects. It is very fun to see the various challenges the team at Industrial Light and Magic team faced over the years, while maintaining its light and welcoming community.
This three-episode season shows us the hard-working people behind the magic of George Lucas’ computer animation and stereo conversion digital studio, Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), founded in 1975. We follow the artists as they implement new digital technology and the rise of computer graphics (CG) to create visual masterpieces for films such as the 1977 film Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. From there, the company expanded and produced special effects for over three hundred films, including the entire Star Wars saga, the Indiana Jones Series, and the Jurassic Park series. The many challenges ILM dealt with over the years included complicated problems like character backlash, complex new concepts, and rising competition all gave ILM a run for its money.
I am a massive fan of the Star Wars movies. Revenge of the Sith is one of my all-time favorites. Watching this team creating the prequel trilogy was beyond exciting. I’ve always had an idea of how difficult filmmaking was, but I never knew it could be this extensive. This season offers fantastic insight to the sheer persistence and the community of the visual effects’ world. As much as I already love these films, I feel that I can appreciate them a little bit more after watching this series. The community is so fun to watch – everyone at ILM works together so wonderfully. They consistently meet their deadline; no matter the challenge. You would think that the amount of work would result in a stressed and tense work environment. Think again!
This team keeps an enjoyable atmosphere that makes me wish I could be there with them. My favorite part is when we watch the ILM crew create the iconic Yoda versus Dooku fight entirely with CG. I especially like the way they kept it realistic and high quality. This part is truly a testament to why they have remained pioneers in the visual effects’ world for so long.
The series’ message is that, with great perseverance, patience, creativity, and teamwork, you can accomplish greatness. Be aware that there is some profanity and discussion of adult situations in this season.
Light & Magic Season 2 gets 5 out of 5 stars from me, and I recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It is available on Disney Plus beginning April 18, 2025.
Light & Magic: Season 2
By Isabella V., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 13
Light & Magic: Season 2 is such an informative and compelling series about the history and process of creating digital effects in films. It gave me a newfound appreciation for a part of filmmaking I previously did not know much about and I learned a lot about the struggles and thought process behind creating special effects..
This three-part series follows Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), owned by George Lucas, as they deal with and overcome the challenges faced by developing and using computer generated (CG) imagery. The series is told through archival footage and interviews as it follows the entire creative team and gives insight into how CG was developed for many classic films and the struggles that had to be overcome.

Donald Glover is Lando Calrissian and Phoebe Waller-Bridge is L3-37 in SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY.
The presentation of the information in this series is incredible; it reveals the story in chronological order, leading to great pacing and immersion. I found myself getting invested at so many points thanks to not knowing what may happen next, even when I knew how the films turned out in the end. The details are unbelievable; there are so many small things that go unnoticed in finished films that are explored here. I especially love the insight into how physics is used to make things appear more realistic. The interviews are extremely informative, with the actual employees at ILM speaking about their experiences. That makes the story feel more personal. The way people describe their situations and the various difficulties they faced made me want the best for them, even making me emotional at times.

(L-R): George Lucas, Doug Chiang, and Rick McCallum in a scene from Lucasfilm’s LIGHT & MAGIC, Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. © 2025 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.
The music selection is also perfect; it enhances the events and lends emotion to them. It’s exceptionally well used in dramatic or impactful scenes, such as when they are discovering a problem or a solution. I like that each section is told by someone who actually worked in it. For example, Doug Chiang, with over 25 years of experience working on Star Wars, talks about his experiences with the franchise. This series gave me so much appreciation for something I had really never given much thought to before, leaving me impressed with both the story, and the work by these special effects creators.
The show’s message is to work as hard as possible and not give up on what you want to achieve, because even when obstacles get in the way, you can overcome them. Be forewarned that some mild profanity is used.
I give Light & Magic 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It is available on Disney+ beginning April 18, 2025.