Skip to main content

Documentary “The King of Color” Brings the Visionary Behind Pantone to the Big Screen This December

Image
By


Premiering in theaters on December 12th, 2025, Patrick Creadon’s latest documentary turns its lens toward a figure whose influence is woven into the fabric of nearly every modern creative industry—yet whose name remains surprisingly under-recognized. The King of Color chronicles the extraordinary life and legacy of Lawrence Herbert, the inventor of the Pantone Matching System and the man responsible for bringing order to the chaotic world of color reproduction.

Now 96 years old, Herbert reflects on a lifetime of innovation in a rare, intimate interview featured throughout the film. Growing up in Depression-era Brooklyn, Herbert entered the print and manufacturing trade at a time when color selection was inconsistent and subjective—an industry-wide problem with costly consequences. His solution was nothing short of revolutionary: a comprehensive, standardized system that could translate color into a universally understood language.

The result was the Pantone Matching System (PMS), a tool that transformed design, art, branding, manufacturing, fashion, and nearly every field that relies on precise color communication. Creadon—whose previous films Wordplay and Hesburgh explored American innovators and institutions—once again uncovers the human story behind a cultural landmark. Here, Herbert’s meticulous mind and forward-thinking creativity come into sharp focus, highlighting the remarkable impact of a system so familiar today that it’s easy to forget it had to be invented.

The film is produced by Christine O'Malley, Adam L. Lawrence, and H. Nelson Tracey, whose collaboration with Creadon helps balance industry insight with personal history. The King of Color doesn’t just celebrate Herbert’s achievements; it contextualizes them, tracing how a single idea reshaped global visual communication.

A newly released clip from the documentary, titled “An Industry Problem,” showcases Herbert discussing the early challenges that sparked his innovation. Viewers can also explore promotional stills and the official poster through the provided press materials.

For designers, filmmakers, artists, and anyone who’s ever specified or matched a shade using Pantone, this documentary offers a chance to meet the man behind the spectrum. The King of Color paints a vivid portrait of a quiet pioneer whose system continues to color the world.

Watch the new clip:


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Explaining the Ending of MULHOLLAND DRIVE

By
David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive remains one of the most haunting and enigmatic films ever made. It operates like a riddle that refuses to be solved, luring the viewer into a world where time, memory, and identity dissolve into one another. What begins as a mysterious, almost whimsical Hollywood fairy tale gradually transforms into a psychological nightmare. By the end, it’s clear that what we’ve been watching is not a mystery to be unraveled but an emotional landscape, the mind of a woman caught between fantasy and despair. The film tells the story of two women, Betty Elms and Rita, whose lives intertwine after Rita survives a car crash and loses her memory. Betty, a bright and optimistic aspiring actress freshly arrived in Los Angeles, takes her in. Together, they embark on an investigation into Rita’s identity, which unfolds like a noir detective story bathed in dreamlike light. Everything about this world feels heightened: Betty’s charm, the coincidence of events, and the ease with w...
Post a Comment
Read More

Final Destination Bloodlines Set to Bring Fresh Horrors to the Franchise

By
The long-running and fan-favorite horror series Final Destination is set to make its return with Final Destination Bloodlines, bringing a new chapter of supernatural terror to the big screen. Scheduled for a theatrical and IMAX release on May 16, 2025, in the U.S. (and internationally beginning May 14), the film promises to continue the franchise’s tradition of chilling premonitions and inescapable fate. The upcoming installment features a fresh ensemble cast, including Kaitlyn Santa Juana (The Friendship Game, The Flash), Teo Briones (Chucky, Will vs. The Future), Richard Harmon (The 100, The Age of Adaline), Owen Patrick Joyner (Julie and the Phantoms, 100 Things to Do Before High School), and Anna Lore (They/Them, Gotham Knights). Also joining the cast are Brec Bassinger (Stargirl, Bella and the Bulldogs) and horror icon Tony Todd, who reprises his role from the original Final Destination films. Todd, best known for his chilling portrayal of the titular character in the Candyman fra...
Post a Comment
Read More

LOCKED Release Info

By
LOCKED follows Eddie (Bill Skarsgård), a desperate man who breaks into a seemingly empty luxury SUV, only to find himself ensnared in a meticulously crafted trap. His captor? William (Anthony Hopkins), a vigilante with a twisted sense of justice. What starts as a simple break-in quickly spirals into a nightmare, as Eddie struggles to escape a vehicle designed to be his prison. With no way out and an unseen force pulling the strings, survival becomes a race against time in a ride where justice is anything but blind. This 95-minute thrill ride promises to keep audiences on edge by blending elements of survival horror and psychological warfare. Its confined setting turns an everyday luxury vehicle into an inescapable nightmare, and the ride explores themes of morality, punishment, and the true cost of justice. Only in Theaters on March 21. I love a limited-setting horror thriller. With limited settings, the film must rely more on character interactions and internal conflicts to create ten...
Post a Comment
Read More