Rob McQuarrie dies at 82

Conceptual designer Rob McQuarrie, who designed the feel of "The Exorcist" figures including Darth Vader and Chewbacca, died Saturday, March 3, in Berkeley, Calif. He was 82 coupled with been struggling with Parkinson's. McQuarrie, area of the team that won an Oscar in 1986 for that visual effects in "Cocoon," done the 3 from the original "The Exorcist" films and designed the spaceships in "Close Encounters from the Third Kind" and "E.T.: The Additional-Terrestrial." He seemed to be credited on "Raiders from the Lost Ark" and done the initial "Battlestar Galactica" series. McQuarrie was created in Gary, Ind., but gone to live in California. He would be a technical illustrator for Boeing in the beginning, but additionally designed film posters and provided animation for CBS' coverage of NASA's Apollo missions. George Lucas hired him as one example of moments from his "The Exorcist" script, and McQuarrie not just produced the feel of figures Darth Vader, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C-3PO but additionally of a few of the sets, including from the desert world Tatooine. His conceptual sketches assisted convince twentieth century Fox executives to invest in the film. The artist even made an appearance in "The Wild Bunch,Inch playing General McQuarrie, who had been one of the figures converted to figures. Inside a statement, Lucas stated: "His genial contribution, by means of unmatched production works of art, powered and inspired all the cast and crew from the original 'Star Wars' trilogy. When words couldn't convey my ideas, I possibly could always indicate certainly one of Ralph's fabulous illustrations and say, 'Do it such as this.AInch McQuarrie later done the flicks "Star Wars IV: The Voyage Home," "Batteries Not Incorporated" and "Nightbreed" called the conceptual designer of To the near future: The Ride at Universal Galleries in Hollywood and Florida. He was later requested to operate around the "The Exorcist" prequel trilogy but rejected. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Sarah Wright & Amy Huberman Get Leads In NBC Pilots, Austin Butler In Carrie Diaries

EXCLUSIVE: Sarah Wright (Parks & Recreation) is set for the lead in NBCs untitled Hilary Winston single-camera pilot. It centers on Agnes (Wright), a shy, focused woman who, after being dumped by her fiance, leans on her co-workers to help her come out of her shell and plot her revenge. Wright, who joins Mena Suvari and Kyle Howard on the pilot, recently guest starred on ABC’s Happy Endings, produced by the companies behind the Hilary Winston project, Sony TV and Fanfare. Wright, repped by ICM and Ellen Meyer Management, will next be seen in the feature 21 And Over. In her first U.S. audition ever, Irish actress Amy Huberman has landed the female lead opposite Justin Kirk in NBCs single-camera comedy pilot Animal Kingdom. The project, from Universal TV and American Work, centers on a House-like veterinarian, Dr. George Coleman (Kirk), who loves animals but usually hates their owners. Hugerman will play Dorothy, George’s intelligent and beautiful old girlfriend, now engaged to another, who is assigned to run the animal hospital. Huberman, repped by KLWGN and the Lisa Richards Agency, is nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 9th Annual Irish Film & TV Awards for her role in Stella Days. Austin Butler (Lifetime’s The Bling Ring) has been cast as the male lead in the CW pilot Carrie Diaries.The project, based on Candace Bushnells novel, chronicles Carrie Bradshaws (AnnaSophia Robb) coming of age in the 1980s when she asks her first questions about love, sex, friendship and family while exploring the worlds of high school and Manhattan. Butler, repped by WME and Anonymous Content, will play Sebastian Kydd, a brooding heartthrob and ultimate insider who always plays the outsider. His presence at Carrie’s school will shake things up in a big way.