Legendary Special Make-Up Effects Artist Stan Winston is the Subject of an Upcoming Documentary, "Monster Maker"

A true titan when it comes to special make-up effects and elaborate puppetry and animatronics, the late Stan Winston is the focus of an upcoming documentary.

What's Happening:

• As revealed by Deadline, production has begun on Monster Maker, a new documentary focused on Stan Winston, one of the most notable names in makeup and creature special effects.
• The documentary is produced by Frank Marshall (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic World) and directed and produced by Barney Douglas (McEnroe).
• Winston's illustrious career include several films from 20th Century Fox before it became the Disney-owned 20th Century Studios, including his iconic creations of the Alien Queen in Aliens and the title character in Predator, along with the actual scissorhands wielded in Edward Scissorhands.
• Though Winston would sadly pass away in 2008 at the age of 62 from multiple myeloma, among his final projects were physical suits for the movie that kicked off the MCU, Iron Man, and contributions to James Cameron's blockbuster Avatar.
• Two other defining projects for Winston were his first collaboration with Cameron on The Terminator, where he built the animatronic Terminator endoskeleton, along with other prosthetics for star Arnold Schwarzenegger, and his amazing animatronic dinosaurs for Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park and that film's first two sequels.
• Winston would win four Academy Awards across a career that also included films like The Thing, Interview With the Vampire, Batman Returns, Galaxy Quest, War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Early on, he also crossed paths with a galaxy far, far away when he created the costumes for Chewbacca's Wookiee family for 1978's infamous The Star Wars Holiday Special.
• Filming for Monster Maker has begun in London, with interview participants including Jurassic Park star Jeff Goldblum, frequent collaborator James Cameron, producer Frank Marshall, and Jurassic Park producer-turned former Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy.
• Per the official description for the documentary, “Monster Maker explores a transformative era in Hollywood when blockbuster action films and groundbreaking horror franchises redefined popular culture. At the center of it all was Winston, an imaginative outsider whose artistry and innovation helped shape generations of moviegoers’ dreams… and nightmares. From the Terminator emerging from flames, to the Predator removing its mask and the groundbreaking dinosaurs of Jurassic Park, many of cinema’s most iconic characters and creature effects were created by Stan Winston and his team. Through never-before-seen archive material, behind the scenes footage of iconic Hollywood movies, and interviews with family, friends and collaborators including James Cameron, Monster Maker tells the story of the visionary artist whose work helped define modern blockbuster filmmaking.”
• Along with Kennedy/Marshall, Tamzin Merchant, Paddy Kelly and Steve Williams also produce for Strange Bird, with Drew Masters and Chris Grubb executive producing for Whisper. Dogwoof co-produces, with Anna Godas, Oli Harbottle, and Will Kane serving as executive producers. Keith Haviland executive produces for Haviland Digital.

What They're Saying

• James Cameron: “One of my great pleasures in life was my close collaboration with Stan Winston… the man, the artist, and the ringleader of so many other talented artists, on films such as The Terminator and Aliens. Stan was a true pioneer who created creatures and characters both wondrous and terrifying, but always memorable."