THE ART OF STAR WARS: GALAXY’S EDGE is a cache of absolutely stunning artwork smuggled in directly from a galaxy’s edge far, far away. The new book by author Amy Rafcliffe is due out April 27, 2021 and offers an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at the massive theme park expansion that opened at both Disneyland in California and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida.

With a focus on the actual artwork used to inspire the land, you won’t find a single photo of the actual land here but instead hundreds of full-color concept paintings, sketches, and blueprints. Although we received our copy of this book complimentarily in exchange for an honest review, I already knew that THE ART OF STAR WARS: GALAXY’S EDGE was something that I needed in my collection and I was definitely not disappointed. It’s a fantastic amalgamation of fandom. hitting all the right marks for both a Star Wars and Disney Parks fan.

© Disney / Lucasfilm. All rights reserved.

If I had a single critique, it would only be about feeding a rancor-sized appetite for every single little detail that went into bringing this truly immersive living Star Wars experience to life. The narrative leans a little heavily into detailed exposition of what’s in the land (which is great for the uninitiated) but as someone who has already spent hours and hours inside the land, I wish more of the book was dedicated to behind-the-scenes tidbits and anecdotes.

Still, there’s a fair share of interesting bites within the text to whet a fan’s appetite. In fact, the image captions provide some of the biggest bang for your buck with details on the nuanced inspiration and reasons for how and why things made it into the final product — and more interestingly: how and why they didn’t!

To that end, the book may leave you longing for what-could-have-been elements as it showcases concepts and ideas that never made it into the parks. One such sticking-point for many fans are the roaming droids that had been play tested at the D23 Expo in 2017 which never found their way into the land. Still, it’s fun to consider the things that could have been included and really appreciate the insane amount of work and creativity that goes into concepting things that could become reality inside of the parks.

© Disney / Lucasfilm. All rights reserved.

The book boasts exclusive interviews with the key creative minds involved on the project including a foreword by Imagineering creative portfolio executive Scott Trowbridge. In total, Ratcliffe credits nearly 80 different people across Imagineering, Lucasfilm, ILM, and more who provide the insightful captions and quotes offering an incredibly well-rounded look into the impressive undertaking. Expect candid input from notables including Doug Chiang, Erik Tiemens, Ric Lim, and more.

If there’s any more reason to want to get your hands on this book, it’s for even MORE artwork from a galaxy far, far away with a sneak peek at the upcoming Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience that is more colloquially known as the “Star Wars Hotel.” There’s some really great insights and never-before-seen images for the first-of-its-kind immersive two-night adventure that will include luxury accommodations on a journey that is literally out of this world!

© Disney / Lucasfilm. All rights reserved.

THE ART OF STAR WARS: GALAXY’S EDGE is a glorious coffee table-ready hardcover book with 256 glorious pages of insider magic. The audience for this book is obvious and neither fans of the parks nor fans of the films will want to put this book down once they get their hands on it. My copy now sits on the shelf next to our copy of THE ART OF STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN. For historical record, for the appreciation of art, for a behind-the-scenes look into the Disney Parks, there’s a lot to appreciate here.

See it for Yourself

THE ART OF STAR WARS: GALAXY’S EDGE is available where books are sold starting April 27, 2021.

BUY IT NOW: The book is available for pre-order from Amazon