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LIFE celebrates the 50th anniversary of the beloved family classic Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory with a veritable chocolate river of stories and photos. The book features a collection of gorgeous behind-the-scenes photographs that reveal the merriment and mayhem of the original movie set. It also tells the improbable story of how Roald Dahl's book was ever filmed in the first place, and tracks how the movie went from being an opening-day dud to a staple of American childhood, as well as the inspiration for a Tim Burton - Johnny Depp remake and a popular Broadway musical. The issue includes tributes to star Gene Wilder and explains why he was the perfect Wonka, and shares what became of the movie's child stars. From Golden Tickets to Oompa Loompas to Everlasting Gobstoppers, LIFE captures everything that made Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory a work of pure imagination.

With Walt Disney Studios'announcement that a fifth Indiana Jones movie is in the works, it's time to celebrate the 40th anniversary of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg's blockbuster film franchise about the adventures of a swashbuckling archaeologist. Indelibly embodied by Harrison Ford, the man in the fedora is dashing and irresistibly human, braving all manner of heart-stopping danger while battling Nazis, Stalinists and other foes in his quest for priceless artifacts—always with humor and panache. LIFE traces the evolution of the film series, from its roots in 1940s serials and action flicks through the creation and production of Raiders of the Lost Ark and three rollicking sequels. With a lively, incisive narrative and a rich trove of photos, this special edition features plot summaries, actor profiles, and a wealth of behind-the-scenes anecdotes—a fitting tribute to one of cinema's most beloved and enduring heroes.

Rocky Balboa, the underdog palooka who boxed his way to box office super-success, burst into popular culture in 1976. Now 45 years later, “Yo, Adrian” has joined the very short list of very short quotes that are instantly identifiable with a classic character from a classic film. Tourists still run the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Marching bands play “Gonna Fly Now” as halftime entertainment. High school football teams get crazy-eyed to “Eye of the Tiger.” LIFE Rocky looks back the story conceived by actor and writer Sylvester Stallone and the iconic 8-film franchise it has become, celebrating Rocky's friends, his foes, his fights and the songs and scenes that endure today.

The world of Harry Potter had grown deeply meaningful for those who came of age using Hogwarts's four houses as shorthand for personality types and seeing the shadow of Voldemort in real-world acts of oppression. For them, Harry Potter is not just a series of books and movies and merchandise but a way of sortingright from wrong that they can remember and draw on for the rest of their lives. For countless readers, Platform 93/4 has served as a gateway into a world in which conflicts between good and evil unfold not in the distant past but the here and now. But it's also doubled as an invitation to explore a long tradition of fantasy literature, fable, folklore and myth, a tradition in which Harry and his friends are now ensconced. Like Oz and Narnia before it, it's a world destined not only to enchant one generation of readers but to be passed down from one to the next. There's magic in that that nothing can undo.

In 1975, Steven Spielberg's Jaws transformed the Hollywood landscape, sparked a cultural phenomenon and took a huge bite out of the collective psyche, with the public always wondering what lurked just beneath the surface of the water. The first true summer blockbuster was a masterpiece of the thriller genre, following the terrifying ordeal of a beach community under attack by a monstrous great white shark. This LIFE special issue celebrates the 45th anniversary of this iconic film (which earned an Oscar nomination for Best Picture) with an in-depth look at Spielberg's revolutionary filmmaking and storytelling techniques, the chaotic making of the movie and its lasting legacy, and why, 45 years later, it's still scary.

That the newest film adaptation of Little Women got six 2020 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress, seems in keeping with this beloved story. Ever since it was published more than 150 years ago, Louisa May Alcott's classic novel about the four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, has been revered and adored for its portrait of American life, its depiction of growing from adolescence into maturity, its exploration of the bonds among the siblings at the heart of the story, and its groundbreaking implication that the lives of girls and women are rich, complex, and powerful. Now, this special edition chronicles the long and nuanced history of the novel and celebrates the remarkable spirit of Alcott herself, a woman whose radical approach to life and equality was years ahead of her time. Explore her biography and the'rebellious spirit'that pervades the book. Consider the story's many adaptations that have kept her legacy at the heart of popular culture over the years, including Katharine Hepburn in 1933 and the new movie directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Saoirse Ronan. Let this special edition help you celebrate one of the most important novels in American literature.

Before he elevated Black Panther into an inspirational and internationally beloved big screen superstar, Chadwick Boseman had long been delivering roles defined by passion and intensity, including starring turns as James Brown, Thurgood Marshall, and Jackie Robinson in 42, which thrust him into leading-man status in 2013. Then, in 2016 when he took on the role of T'Challa/The Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and in 2018 when he headlined the blockbuster film Black Panther his popularity exploded. Black Panther would go on to become one of the highest-grossing films of all time and the only comic-book movie nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award. It inspired and excited children around the world, shattering stereotypes who a superhero could be. This commemorative edition from Entertainment Weekly celebrates the life and career of Boseman, looking back at his major roles through photos and essays, with remembrances from co-stars and colleagues, the legacy of Black Panther, and much more, this is a tribute to an enormous talent gone too soon.

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