Author Paul Fischer will discuss and sign his New York Times bestselling book “The Last Kings of Hollywood: Coppola, Lucas, Spielberg—and the Battle for the Soul of American Cinema” at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., tonight at 7 p.m.
Fischer will appear in conversation with film critic and screenwriter Drew McWeeny. The event is free with an RSVP through the Vroman’s website.
The book, published in February by Celadon Books, an imprint of Macmillan, chronicles the intertwined careers of filmmakers Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg from the late 1960s through the early 1980s. According to the publisher, the book draws on hundreds of original interviews with people in the filmmakers’ inner circles to trace how the three directors challenged the old studio system, competed with and supported one another, and produced a string of record-breaking films including “The Godfather,” “Jaws” and “Star Wars.”
Fischer is a UK-based author and film producer whose previous books include “A Kim Jong-Il Production” (2015), which was named one of the best books of that year by NPR and Library Journal, and “The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures” (2022), a New York Times Editor’s Choice selection. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and The Independent.
McWeeny, who will serve as the evening’s conversation partner, is an L.A.-based film critic and screenwriter who formerly served as the west coast editor of the film news site Ain’t It Cool News. He has written for the television anthology series “Masters of Horror,” directed by John Carpenter, and currently publishes the film criticism newsletter Formerly Dangerous. His personal connection to the book’s subject matter runs deep — he named one of his sons after filmmaker George Lucas, according to his IMDB profile.
The event takes place at Vroman’s Bookstore, which was founded in Pasadena in 1894 and is Southern California’s oldest independent bookstore. The store hosts more than 400 free community events per year, according to its website.
“The Last Kings of Hollywood” has been named to the New Yorker’s list of the best books of 2026 so far.
If you go
What: Paul Fischer, in conversation with Drew McWeeny, discusses and signs “The Last Kings of Hollywood: Coppola, Lucas, Spielberg—and the Battle for the Soul of American Cinema”
When: Monday, April 20, 7 p.m.
Where: Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena
Cost: Free with RSVP
Information: 626-449-5320; vromansbookstore.com
