{{Short description|British production designer (1934–2023)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Norman Reynolds | image = Publicity_Photo_of_Norman_Reynolds.jpg | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|1934|3|26|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Willesden]], London, England | death_date = {{death date and age|2023|4|2|1934|3|26|df=y}} | death_place = | occupation = Production designer, art director | years_active = 1962–1999 | spouse = Ann Reynolds | children = 3 }}
'''Norman William Reynolds''' (26 March 1934 – 2 April 2023)<ref>[https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/search-results Reynolds Norman William probate record]</ref> was a British [[production designer]] and [[art director]], best known for his work on the [[Star Wars original trilogy|original ''Star Wars'' trilogy]] and ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]''.
==Early life and education== Reynolds was born in [[Willesden]], London on 26 March 1934,<ref name=BBC>{{cite news |last1=Knibbs |first1=Steve |title=Star Wars: Oscar-winning production designer Norman Reynolds dies |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-65200513 |access-date=6 April 2023 |publisher=BBC News |date=6 April 2023}}</ref><ref name=Starlog104>{{cite magazine |title=Norman Reynolds: Visualizing Victorian England |magazine=Starlog |issue=104 |date=February 1986 |pages=29–31}}</ref> Reynolds went to art college.<ref name=Guardian/>
==Career== Reynolds was working for a manufacturer of illuminated signs when he was commissioned to create signs for the 1962 film ''[[The Road to Hong Kong]]'' and decided to apply for jobs in film design. He started work at [[Elstree Studios]] in 1963 as a designer on ''[[Come Fly with Me (film)|Come Fly with Me]]'', then worked on the TV series ''[[The Saint (TV series)|The Saint]]'' and on 1965's ''[[Thunderball (film)|Thunderball]]''. Subsequent work included ''[[Battle of Britain (film)|Battle of Britain]]'' (1969; uncredited) and as assistant art director on ''[[Phase IV (1974 film)|Phase IV]]'' (1974).<ref name=Guardian/>
Reynolds did his best known work on the first three ''Star Wars'' films,<ref name=Guardian/><ref>{{Cite news|date=2016-01-10|title=Star Wars: The man who designed the films' 'look'|publisher=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-34989035|access-date=2020-11-08}}</ref> as art director on 1977's ''[[Star Wars: A New Hope|Star Wars]]'' and after the death of [[John Barry (set designer)|John Barry]] as production designer on the sequels, ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' and ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'',<ref name=BBC/> and on 1981's ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'', for which he won his second [[Academy Award]] and a [[BAFTA Award]].<ref name=Guardian/><ref name=BBC/> He was subsequently art director on the 1978 film ''[[Superman (1978 film)|Superman]]'' and its 1980 sequel ''[[Superman II]]'', and production designer on ''[[Return to Oz]]'' and ''[[Young Sherlock Holmes]]'' (both 1985) and ''[[Empire of the Sun (film)|Empire of the Sun]]'' (1987). He also worked on ''[[Alien 3]]'' (1992) and ''[[Mission: Impossible (film)|Mission Impossible]]'' (1996).<ref name=Guardian/>
Reynolds directed two episodes of the 1980s TV series ''[[Amazing Stories (1985 TV series)|Amazing Stories]]'', "The Pumpkin Competition" and "Gather Ye Acorns".{{cn|date=April 2023}} He was [[special effects director]] for ''[[The Exorcist III]]'' (1990) and [[second unit director]] for ''[[Alive (1993 film)|Alive]]'' (1993).<ref name=BBC/>
==Personal life and death== Reynolds and his wife, Ann, have three daughters and lived in [[Cheltenham]].<ref name=BBC/> He often concealed his work, saying that he worked in a biscuit factory.<ref name=Guardian/> Reynolds died on 2 April 2023 at the age of 89.<ref name=BBC/><ref name=Guardian>{{cite news |first=Ryan |last=Gilbey|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/apr/09/norman-reynolds-obituary-star-wars |title=Norman Reynolds obituary |newspaper=The Guardian |date=9 April 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Norman Reynolds, Oscar-winning set designer on Star Wars and Indiana Jones – obituary |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2023/04/11/norman-reynolds-star-wars-indiana-jones-oscar-set-designer/ |website=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=11 April 2023 |date=April 11, 2023}}</ref>
==Awards==
===Won=== *1978 [[Academy Award for Best Production Design]] – ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope]]'' (shared with [[John Barry (set designer)|John Barry]], [[Leslie Dilley]], and [[Roger Christian (filmmaker)|Roger Christian]]) *1982 [[BAFTA Award for Best Production Design]] – ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'' (shared with Leslie Dilley and [[Michael D. Ford]]) *1982 Academy Award for Best Production Design – ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'' (shared with Leslie Dilley and Michael D. Ford)
===Nominated=== *1977 Academy Award for Best Production Design – ''[[The Incredible Sarah]]'' (shared with [[Elliot Scott]]) *1981 Academy Award for Best Production Design – ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (shared with Leslie Dilley, [[Harry Lange (film designer)|Harry Lange]], [[Alan Tomkins]] and Michael D. Ford) *1981 BAFTA Award for Best Production Design – ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' *1984 Academy Award for Best Production Design – ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' (shared with [[Fred Hole]], [[James L. Schoppe]], Michael D. Ford) *1984 BAFTA Award for Best Production Design – ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' *1988 Academy Award for Best Production Design – ''[[Empire of the Sun (film)|Empire of the Sun]]'' (shared with [[Harry Cordwell]])<ref name="Oscars1988">{{Cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1988 |title=The 60th Academy Awards (1988) Nominees and Winners |access-date=2011-07-31|work=oscars.org}}</ref> *1988 BAFTA Award for Best Production Design – ''[[Empire of the Sun (film)|Empire of the Sun]]'' (shared with Harry Cordwell)
==Selected filmography==
===As art director=== *''[[Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut]]'' (2006) *''[[Superman II]]'' (1980) *''[[Superman (1978 film)|Superman]]'' (1978) *''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope]]'' (1977) *''[[The Incredible Sarah]]'' (1976) *''[[Lucky Lady]]'' (1975) *''[[The Old Curiosity Shop (1975 film)|The Old Curiosity Shop]]'' (1975) *''[[The Little Prince (1974 film)|The Little Prince]]'' (1974)
===As production designer=== *''[[Bicentennial Man (film)|Bicentennial Man]]'' (1999) *''[[Sphere (1998 film)|Sphere]]'' (1998) *''[[Mission: Impossible (film)|Mission: Impossible]]'' (1996) *''[[Clean Slate (1994 film)|Clean Slate]]'' (1994) *''[[Alive (1993 film)|Alive]]'' (1993) *''[[Alien 3]]'' (1992) *''[[Avalon (1990 film)|Avalon]]'' (1990) *''[[Mountains of the Moon (film)|Mountains of the Moon]]'' (1990) *''[[Empire of the Sun (film)|Empire of the Sun]]'' (1987) *''[[Young Sherlock Holmes]]'' (1985) *''[[Return to Oz]]'' (1985) *''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983) *''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'' (1981) *''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (1980)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|id=0721888}} *{{Tcmdb name}}
{{Navboxes |title = Awards for Norman Reynolds |list = {{AcademyAwardBestArtDirection 1961–1980}} {{BAFTA Award for Best Production Design}} }}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reynolds, Norman}} [[Category:1934 births]] [[Category:2023 deaths]] [[Category:British film designers]] [[Category:Best Production Design Academy Award winners]] [[Category:Best Production Design BAFTA Award winners]] [[Category:Artists from London]] [[Category:Businesspeople from the London Borough of Brent]] [[Category:People from Willesden]]