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Disney have officially confirmed that fans can expect the return of fan favorite R2-D2 in the eagerly anticipated Star Wars: Episode VII.
R2-D2 has featured in every Star Wars movie since the franchise began, so the announcement was expected – especially after the droid was pictured in a production photo online this week.
Long term fans of the franchise Lee Towersey and Oliver Steeples have also been reportedly hired by Disney as droid builders after Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy visited the R2-D2 droid builders fan club in Germany.
Steeples said: “It all started when Kathleen Kennedy toured the R2-D2 Builders area at Celebration Europe this past summer in Germany.
“She posed for pictures with us, looked at all the droids we’d built and was very complimentary. I mentioned that the R2-D2 Builders in the UK were available if required, as a semi-joke. When I was contacted to work on the film by executive producer Jason McGatlin, it was on her recommendation.”
The British based droid designers claim they aim to go ‘one up’ on the original R2-D2 by designing an R2-unit that can master multiple terrains – promising details and a road test very soon.
Episode VII will be released in cinemas on December 18th 2015.