Hollywood Oscar-Winning Production Designer Norman Reynolds Dies
Norman Reynolds, the British production designer and art director who won two Oscars for his work on Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, has died.
Reynolds, 89, worked as art director on Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977 and took over from John Barry as production designer for the sequels.
Steven Spielberg previously said Reynolds was the “creative core” of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films.
“He possessed that rare combination of humility and utter genius,” he said.
Reynolds’ notable design work included Yoda’s planet of Dagobah, the carbon freezing chamber in which Han Solo was encased in carbonite and The Emperor’s throne room.
The latter was reimagined as part of a destroyed Death Star in The Rise of Skywalker in 2019.
His influence on the Star Wars universe is still seen today with many of his designs incorporated in the look of the Disney+series, The Mandalorian.
Spielberg asked Reynolds to work as production designer for Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, for which he won his second Oscar.
The famous scene of Indiana Jones being chased by a huge boulder was one of Reynolds’ ground-breaking designs.
The idol that Indy was stealing at the time started life as a “tacky souvenir” that Reynolds had bought at an airport in Mexico.
He said in 2016: “It was a fertility figure that seemed to be a good size for the idol. So I bought it and adapted it and changed it slightly and made sure it worked for the hand.
“It was black so I made it gold. It worked, and I was delighted that it was an authentic piece.”
Speaking about Reynolds’ work a few years ago, Spielberg said he was “the creative core of two of the biggest franchises of all time – Star Wars and Indiana Jones”.
“His design concepts always exceeded my wildest wishes. A massive talent.
“There was nothing he couldn’t make work,” he added.
“Norm has inspired several generations of art directors. He has raised the bar on the collective imagination of storytellers and the worlds they build,” he added.
Films
Away from his Oscar wins, Reynolds also designed sets for films such as Superman, Empire of the Sun, Alien 3, Return to Oz and the first of the Mission: Impossible franchise starring Tom Cruise.
He also worked as second unit director on Alive in 1993 and special effects director for Exorcist III.
Reynolds was born in Willesden in 1934 but later moved to Cheltenham with his wife, Ann.
He was always modest about his work in the movie world, often telling people he made biscuits rather than having to regale them with his Hollywood stories.
Lucasfilm production company president Kathleen Kennedy, said she was “shattered” at the news of Mr Reynold’s passing.
“Norman was an exceptional person to work with,” she said.
“His contributions to the first entries of the Star Wars saga and Indiana Jones series helped set the standard for the look of these beloved stories that has inspired generations of film designers.”
Cherished husband
In a statement, his family said: “Norman was a cherished husband, father, father-in-law, granddad and great grandad.
“You would not know that behind his unassuming, funny and affable exterior lay an enormously talented production designer who brought so many of the films we all love to life through his iconic set designs.
“He was amazed at the fanbase his work created and how much his work meant to them. But above all, he loved and delighted in his large and growing family.
“He died peacefully with his wife Ann and three daughters by his side.”
BBC/Olusola Akintonde
