The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Filming of the Douglas Adams Classic [Hardcover]

Robbie Stamp (Author)

Book Description

Series: Newmarket Pictorial Moviebook | Publication Date: April 29, 2005

The making of the most astonishing adventure in the Universe.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is one of the biggest and most eagerly anticipated film events of recent years. A much-yearned-for project of Douglas Adams, it has taken twenty-five years to bring the Galaxy to life on screen, and this interpretation of the classic novel is groundbreaking.

Starring Sam Rockwell as Zaphod, Mos Def as Ford Prefect, Zooey Deschanel as Trillian, Martin Freeman as Arthur, Bill Nighy as Slartibartfast and John Malkovich as Humma Kuvala, a new character created by Douglas especially for the movie, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy draws on a refreshing mix of CGI technology and state-of-the art puppeteering from Jim Henson's Creature Workshop.

In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Filming of the Douglas Adams Classic, Robbie Stamp, Executive Producer and close friend of Douglas Adams, reveals the craft of the making of the film. From the emphasis throughout production on making real sets and real creatures, Robbie Stamp has interviewed many of the people involved in the film's production.

Storyboards, sketches, never-before-seen artwork and the making of the Heart of Gold, the Vogons (including what it's like to puppeteer and act inside one), the Guide itself and of course Marvin create a must-have companion to the film. With 400 color and black & white images, plus a wealth of insider jokes and cultural cross-references, this is the book old and new fans of Hitchhiker's have been waiting for.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy—The Movie © 2005 Touchstone Pictures

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It took 25 years to make the film version of the beloved SF classic The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and this illustrated book goes a long way towards explaining why. The 400 color photos, sketches, storyboards and artwork (much of which hasn't been seen before) reveal the project's massive scope. There are notes on the cast (which includes Sam Rockwell, Mos Def, Zooey Deschanel and John Malkovich) and in-depth explanations of how the zany characters were created. The peek into Jim Henson's "creature workshop" in London is fascinating; readers learn how puppeteers fashioned the Vogons, creatures belonging to "one of the most unpleasant races in the Galaxy." They also get an education on how Marvin, the "manically depressed robot," came to life; and how Zaphod, the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie, was designed (using a technique called cyberscanning, which is similar to the way an MRI scan at a hospital works). Other sections show how artists designed and constructed the Heart of Gold spaceship, with sketches of various concept designs for its interior. This comprehensive companion to the movie will delight those who've been enthralled by Hitchhiker as well as all lovers of science fiction film.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Douglas Adams was born in 1952 and created all the various and contradictory manifestations of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy—radio, novels, TV, computer game, stage adaptations, comic book and bath towel. He lectured and broadcast around the world and was a patron of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and Save the Rhino International. Douglas Adams was born in Cambridge, UK, and lived with his wife and daughter in Santa Barbara, California, where he died suddenly in 2001. Before his death Douglas Adams wrote several drafts of the screenplay for the Touchstone Pictures movie of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and was heavily involved in the production of the film. Robbie Stamp is an Executive Producer of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and worked for many years with Douglas Adams on bringing Adams' most famous work to the screen.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: Newmarket Press (April 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155704676X
• ISBN-13: 978-1557046765
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,270,962 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The book about the Making of the Movie of the Book ...., October 28, 2005

By 

Warren Kelly (Southern Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Filming of the Douglas Adams Classic (Hardcover)

I discovered Douglas Adams and the Hitchhiker's Guide (Hitch Hiker's Guide for those who prefer it in it's original English) when I was in high school. I devoured each book as I could afford it, always eager for more. I was thrilled when the trilogy expanded. When the PBS station out of Washington DC started playing the BBC TV show, I was in heaven. And when the NPR station I listened to at college started playing the original radio show, I rigged up a way to record the shows on audio cassette so I wouldn't miss an episode.

So you can understand my embarrassment when I admit that I have yet to see the movie. But I've done the next best thing-I've read the book about making the movie. And I want to see the movie even more now.

This book is incredible. The pictures include not only final set designs, but the various stages that the designs went through. The Guide itself is pictured in every incarnation it went through. The Heart of Gold is shown in all its splendor. The costuming for Marvin, everyone's favorite paranoid android, is shown in enough detail to make me feel very sorry for the actor who had to wear it. Concept sketches abound. Any book that shows the actual bypass plans for both the Cottington bypass (inside front) and the Hyperspace bypass that requires the demolition of the Earth (inside back) has to be on every fan's must-read list.


The justification for changing parts of the "original" story are made in the book as well. True Hitchhiker's fans need no justification, though-we know that none of the various forms that the story has taken agrees with any other version. It should come as no surprise that the movie is different from the books, which were different from the TV series, which was different from the radio show, which is different from the lunchbox...

Anyone who watches movies and wonders "How did they DO that?" needs this book. Any Douglas Adams fan needs this book. Anyone who has ever written Vogon poetry needs this book.

The movie came out on DVD on Tuesday of this week. It's been out two whole days, and I haven't bought it yet. This book will get me through until I can get my copy-I might even be able to hold out for the collector's edition that will surely come out soon.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fun Book, September 2, 2005

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Filming of the Douglas Adams Classic (Hardcover)

OK, so you've read the books (several times), seen the movie (several times), going to buy the DVD when it comes out. Why would you want to buy a book on the movie?

Well, maybe because you want to see how they did some things. Maybe because the still shots in the movie give you time to look at what you are seeing for a while instead of being forced to go on to something else.

The making of a major motion picture like this is a big effort combining the talents of a lot of highly skilled folk. If you're into movies, knowing how they had to import material for Arthur Dent's pajamas from Turkey makes a very good trivia point to have at your fingertips.

I guess there's really no good good, solid, sound reason to buy this book. Except I like it, I found the pictures and writing to be fun to read. I've loaned it out to a few other fans. Good reason or not, I think you should go out and buy it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very cool book!, May 24, 2005

By 

C. Briggs "Sparkster-chan" (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Filming of the Douglas Adams Classic (Hardcover)

I've been obsessed with H2G2 lately, and as soon as I heard about this book, I had to get it. There are many pictures in here, from concept drawings to in-depth photos and diagrams of practically everything. It explains the Vogons and what they had to do to get them moving, the Guide's appearance, each character's personality and clothing, Magrathea's factory floor... even everything about Arthur's house.

My only complaint, and it's a small one, is that Arthur, Zaphod, and Trillian get four pages of coverage, while Ford only gets two. Then again, I'm a huge Ford fan, so I'm biased.

If you're a fan, you must get this book.