STAR WARS: How Ralph McQuarrie Inspired the Sequel Trilogy

For longtime Star Wars fans, Ralph McQuarrie is man that needs little introduction. Second to only George Lucas, McQuarrie is one of the most influential figures in the history of Star Wars, designing so much of the visual aesthetic and the iconic character designs that make the Star Wars franchise stand apart so much. McQuarrie’s fingerprints can be found all over the original trilogy of films, and when LucasFilm hired J.J. Abrams to create the first installment in a new series of Star Wars movies in 2013, the first place the director seemed to go was to McQuarrie’s work. In order to craft the return-to-familiarity that Episode VII tried to be, Abrams and those at LucasFilm sought to reinterpret and reimagine many of McQuarrie’s ideas and sketches from the original trilogy’s creative process, in an attempt to create a new Star Wars movie that retained the feel of the original motion pictures. Making sure that Episode VII felt like Star Wars was a massive priority for Abrams, screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan and