The Iron Giant came out in the summer of 1999, and though it did not bring home the bacon at movie theaters, miracles happen, and like a phoenix from the ashes, Warner Brother‘s charming film eventually found a second life on home video. Now considered a modern classic, The Iron Giant’s director Brad Bird went on to great success directing films like The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Mission Imposible: Ghost Protocol, and more. But his first film still has a special place in his heart, and the hearts of the fans.

Now, as a companion piece to the recently released Iron Giant Signature Edition Blu-ray, publisher Insight Editions has released the new book The Art of The Iron Giant, which takes an in-depth look at the making of the beloved classic film. With a foreword by the film’s director Brad Bird, this book a must-have for fans of the film, and a wonderful testament to the enduring magic of this animated classic. The book contains unprecedented access to rarely seen development art, as well as much more from the Warner Bros. archives.

The Art of The Iron Giant includes never-before-seen images, concept art, backgrounds, and storyboards, and also offers a sneak peek at some of the alternative images and plotlines the creators considered throughout the process of making the film. The book also highlights the development of the two new scenes that were remastered and finished for inclusion into the Signature Edition Blu-ray and DVD that was recently released by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on September 6, 2016. You can see five preview pages, as well as the book’s cover image, in our gallery below. 

The Art of The Iron Giant is available now from Insight Editions.

Are you excited about getting this look behind the curtain of the making of an animated classic? Let us know what you think down below in the comments.

Images: Warner Brothers Entertainment / Insight Editions