“There Are Such Things:” 20th Century Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy on Screen
“There Are Such Things:” 20th Century Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy on Screen
An archive of pre-production illustrations from James Cameron’s unproduced Mars film, ca. 1999
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Lot closes
April 3, 07:01 PM GMT
Estimate
5,000 - 8,000 USD
Current Bid
400 USD
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Description
A pre-production archive of illustrations relating to James Cameron’s unproduced film on the first exploration of Mars, ca. 1999, comprised of:
· 7pp sketches on white paper, ranging from 3.5 x 9 in (X x X cm) to 8.5 x 11 (X x X cm), in pencil, pen, and black alcohol marker.
· 6pp sketches on cream cardstock, 8.5 x 11 in (X x X cm), in pen, ink, and alcohol marker in various colors.
· 3pp illustrations on cardstock, 4 x 9.5 in (X x X cm) in pen and alcohol marker.
· 1p sketch on velum, 8.5 x 11 in (X x X cm), in black ink.
The private collection of Ron Miller
The second-highest grossing director of all time, Canadian filmmaker James Cameron is world renowned for his commitment to advancing the cinematic arts through experimental visual effects and groundbreaking technological achievement. From The Terminator (1984) to Aliens (1986) to Titanic (1997) to Avatar (2009), Cameron has remade the world of filmic innovation time and time again.
From the personal collection of American science fiction author and illustrator, Ron Miller, the present lot is an archive of illustrations, sketches, and technical plans from the pre-production period of a project Cameron never brought to the screen—a story of the first exploration of Mars by the people of Earth.
Along with his wife and professional collaborator Judith—Ron handled the illustrations while Judith built the models—Miller joined Cameron’s Mars project before there was even a script, just a series of concepts. In these early stages, Cameron contracted the Miller’s to produce the following designs: a space station, space shuttles, an Earth-to-Mars spacecraft, a Martian habitat, and a Mars rover.
Highlighting the collaboration between Cameron and the Miller’s, the present lot represents the symbiotic relationship between director and artisans, as well as the step-by-step process of building a future world for the screen.
