Original 'Star Wars' to be screened at former home of Industrial Light & Magic in Van Nuys
Star Wars fans are invited to the original film at the iconic location where the visual effects were made.
VAN NUYS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A long time ago in a small warehouse in Van Nuys, one of the most iconic films of all time - "Star Wars" - was created.
Industrial Light & Magic was the company that George Lucas built to help him create the visual effects for the soon-to-be blockbuster released in 1977. ILM started in Van Nuys before Lucas later relocated to Northern California.
"We're in what was the original home of Industrial Light & Magic, the company that was set up to create all the visual effects for 'Star Wars: A New Hope' from 1977," said My Valley Pass co-founder Jared Cowan.
My Valley Pass offers tours of filming locations across the San Fernando Valley. Cowan says the Industrial Light & Magic building is especially significant because it revolutionized how special effects were created in the movie industry.
"This is where the effects were made for a movie that people know all over the world. That stuff was generated here. The force is strong here. You can feel it in the building and when you step out in this parking lot," Cowan said.
If you're a Star Wars fan and want to experience the magic in person, you're in luck.
This week, all things Star Wars are being celebrated for May the Fourth. On May 6, My Valley Pass will host a screening of "Star Wars: A New Hope" at the original site of Industrial Light and Magic. Tickets are available online from My Valley Pass.
The building is now owned by Neiman & Company, an architectural signage company. Everyone says you can still feel the force the minute you walk in.
"I started here in 2008 and slowly started to hear stories about it. And so it was a thrill for us even though we've been here for years to sort of hear it come to life," said Neiman & Company project manager Eric Campbell.
"I think on a wide scale people may not know that there is this space in the San Fernando Valley that was used as part of the Star Wars mythology. I can't wait for Saturday!" Cowan said.
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