Legendary ILM Model Shop Sculpter, Richard Miller has sadly passed away. The news was revealed by fellow ILM legend, Hal Hickel on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/halhickel/status/1601480388269920257
Richard built the iconic Princess Leia slave outfit gold bikini for Return of the Jedi from a design by Nilo Rodis-Jamero as well as many iconic props throughout an illustrious career.
Speaking with the official Star Wars site in Homing Beacon 168, ILM’s Lorne Peterson described the original creation of the iconic gold bikini, and how Richard Miller was chosen for the role.
It was Princess Leia’s Organa’s most memorable wardrobe choice — albeit chosen by Jabba the Hutt — the brief brass bikini worn while chained to the bloated gangster in Return of the Jedi. Developed in sketches by Nilo Rodis-Jamero, it was actually the ILM Model Shop that was tasked to construct the real costume worn by actress Carrie Fisher. “Nilo was doing sketches, and I had seen what he was planning,” recalls Lorne Peterson, veteran ILM modelmaker who has worked on all six Star Wars films. “Incidentally, at the same time, someone I went to college with happened to sit beside me at a cafe who I hadn’t seen in something like 18 years. In striking up an old friendship, I realized that he was a sculptor, and many of his own private sculptures were very much like Princess Leia’s outfit.”
That sculptor, Richard Miller, joined ILM for Jedi, and stayed on to work on many other films, including the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
Miller would stay at ILM for 30 years, working on films such as Star Trek, Jumanji, Flubber, The Rocketeer, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Mask, Return of the Jedi, Terminator 2, Raiders of the Lost Ark and many many more.
https://twitter.com/RichardMillerFX/status/1476442104859553792
Miller also worked on the prequel trilogy and many of his prominent sculpts appear across the trilogy.
The thoughts of everyone at Fantha Tracks is with the friends and family of Richard.
- Hardcover Book
- Horton, Cole (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 160 Pages - 03/21/2023 (Publication Date) - Insight Editions (Publisher)
