Biography
Rick Carter (born 1952, Los Angeles, California) is an American production designer and art director. He is best known for his collaborations with directors Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis, particularly on the films Back to the Future Part II, Back to the Future Part III, Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump, The Polar Express, War Horse, and Lincoln. He is also known for his work on James Cameron's Avatar, and for the J. J. Abrams-directed Star Wars films The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker...
Known For
Complete Filmography

You Know: Uncovering What Lies Beneath
2025
as Self
A feature-length retrospective documentary on the making of “What Lies Beneath.”

The Fabelmans: A Family in Film
2023
as Self
A fascinating behind-the-scenes special about Steven Spielberg's "The Fabelmans."

The Fabelmans
2022
Production Design
Growing up in post-World War II era Arizona, young Sammy Fabelman aspires to become a filmmaker as he reaches adolescence, but soon discovers a shatte...

Retour vers le futur : Voyage dans le temps, American Dream & rock'n'roll
2022
as Self
The script of "Back to the Future" was one of the most refused of Hollywood: more than forty times. No producer believed in this project of Robert Zem...

The Skywalker Legacy
2020
as Self
The story lives forever in this feature-length documentary that charts the making of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
2019
Production Design
The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once again as the journey of Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron continues. With the power and knowledge of gener...

The Post
2017
Production Design
A cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country's first female newspaper publisher and a hard-driving editor to join an unprecedented ...

Spielberg
2017
as Self
A documentary on the life and career of one of the most influential film directors of all time, Steven Spielberg.

Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story
2017
as Self
Working largely uncredited in the Hollywood system, storyboard artist Harold and film researcher Lillian left an indelible mark on classics by Alfred ...

The BFG
2016
Production Design
An orphan little girl befriends a benevolent giant who takes her to Giant Country, where they attempt to stop the man-eating giants that are invading ...
Retribution
2016
as Rigby
After a diamond heist goes fatally wrong, four criminals hide out in a disused building. As they wait for their boss to appear, they try to work out w...

Star Wars: The Force Awakens
2015
Production Design
Thirty years after defeating the Galactic Empire, Han Solo and his allies face a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren and his army of Stormtroopers.

Lincoln
2012
Production Design
The revealing story of the 16th US President's tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln p...

War Horse
2011
Production Design
On the brink of the First World War, Albert's beloved horse Joey is sold to the Cavalry by his father. Against the backdrop of the Great War, Joey beg...

Sucker Punch
2011
Production Design
A young woman, institutionalized by her abusive stepfather, retreats into a vivid fantasy world where she envisions a plan to escape. Gathering a grou...

Return to Jurassic Park
2011
as Self
A multi-part documentary about the making of the Jurassic Park trilogy. Each part walks through the making of part of one of the films, including the ...

Avatar: Creating the World of Pandora
2010
as Self
The Making-of James Cameron's Avatar. It shows interesting parts of the work on the set.

Avatar
2009
Production Design
In the 22nd century, a paraplegic Marine is dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission, but becomes torn between following orders and protecti...

Looking Back to the Future
2009
as Self
A 9-part retrospective documentary from 2009 on the trilogy’s legacy.

Munich
2005
Production Design
During the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, eleven Israeli athletes are taken hostage and murdered by a Palestinian terrorist group known as Black Septem...

War of the Worlds
2005
Production Design
Ray Ferrier is a divorced dockworker and less-than-perfect father. Soon after his ex-wife and her new husband drop off his teenage son and young daugh...

The Polar Express
2004
Production Design
When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonde...

A.I. Artificial Intelligence
2001
Production Design
David, a robotic boy—the first of his kind programmed to love—is adopted as a test case by a Cybertronics employee and his wife. Though he gradually b...

Beyond Jurassic Park
2001
as Self
Prepare to go deeper into the breathtaking adventures of the Jurassic Park Trilogy! Highlighted by fascinating, never-seen-before footage from all th...

Cast Away
2000
Production Design
Chuck Nolan, a top international manager for FedEx, and Kelly, a Ph.D. student, are in love and heading towards marriage. Then Chuck's plane to Malays...

What Lies Beneath
2000
Production Design
When Claire Spencer starts hearing ghostly voices and seeing spooky images, she wonders if an otherworldly spirit is trying to contact her. All the wh...

Amistad
1997
Production Design
In 1839, the slave ship Amistad set sail from Cuba to America. During the long trip, Cinque leads the slaves in an unprecedented uprising. They are th...

The Lost World: Jurassic Park
1997
Production Design
Four years after Jurassic Park's genetically bred dinosaurs ran amok, multimillionaire John Hammond shocks chaos theorist Ian Malcolm by revealing tha...

The Making of 'The Lost World'
1997
as Self
Behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of director Steven Spielberg's 1997 film "The Lost World."

The Making of 'Jurassic Park'
1995
as Self
This documentary treats film fans to a behind-the-scenes look at the making of "Jurassic Park," one of the 90's biggest hits and a milestone in specia...

Forrest Gump
1994
Production Design
A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events—in each case, far exceeding what any...

Jurassic Park
1993
Production Design
A wealthy entrepreneur secretly creates a theme park featuring living dinosaurs drawn from prehistoric DNA. Before opening day, he invites a team of e...

Death Becomes Her
1992
Production Design
Madeline is married to Ernest, who was once her arch-rival Helen's fiancé. After recovering from a mental breakdown, Helen vows to kill Madeline and s...

Back to the Future Part III
1990
Production Design
The final installment finds Marty digging the trusty DeLorean out of a mineshaft and looking for Doc in the Wild West of 1885. But when their time mac...

Back to the Future Part II
1989
Production Design
Marty and Doc are at it again as the time-traveling duo head to 2015 to nip some McFly family woes in the bud. But things go awry thanks to bully Biff...

Back to the Future (Part II): Behind-the-Scenes Special Presentation
1989
as Himself

Three Fugitives
1989
Production Design
On his first day after being released from jail for 14 armed bank robberies, Lucas finds himself caught up in someone else's robbery. Perry has decide...

Amazing Stories
1986
Production Design
A feature film edited from three episodes of Amazing Stories (1985): The Mission, Mummy Daddy and Go to the Head of the Class.

Vanessa in the Garden
1985
Production Design
When a brilliant young artist's beloved wife dies in a carriage wreck, the grief-stricken husband is possessed with an incredible plan to bring her ba...

The Goonies
1985
Art Direction
Young teen Mikey Walsh and his friends set off on a quest to find Pirate One-Eyed Willie's treasure in hopes of saving their homes from demolition.

The Slugger's Wife
1985
Art Direction
Darryl Palmer is a major league baseball player who meets and pursues an attractive singer. After some setbacks, the two are married and sent on an em...

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
1984
Art Direction
Adventurer/surgeon/rock musician Buckaroo Banzai and his band of men, the Hong Kong Cavaliers, take on evil alien invaders from the 8th dimension.

Second-Hand Hearts
1981
Art Direction
A boozy drifter tries to get to know the widow he married while on a bender.