Originally published May 29, 2015. Updated December 15, 2019.
Sad news today for fans of old school visual effects, as seven-time Oscar winner Rick Baker has announced that he’s set to retire from the industry, having contributed to some of the most memorable special effects of the past four decades.
“First of all, the CG stuff definitely took away the animatronics part of what I do,” Baker told 89.3 KPCC (via SlashFilm). “It’s also starting to take away the makeup part. The time is right, I am 64 years old, and the business is crazy right now. I like to do things right, and they wanted cheap and fast. That is not what I want to do, so I just decided it is basically time to get out. I would consider designing and consulting on something, but I don’t think I will have a huge working studio anymore.”
Baker’s hugely impressive CV includes the likes of Star Wars, An American Werewolf in London, Michael Jackson: Thriller, Harry and the Hendersons, Coming to America, The Rocketeer, Gremlins 2, Ed Wood, Batman Forever, Men in Black, Planet of the Apes, Hellboy, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Norbit and The Wolfman.
