Last week, the Bad Robot twitter account sent out a photograph that was so unexpected, it took the Internet by storm.
It’s right there, JJ Abrams (replete in flannel), along with Kathleen Kennedy, among others, standing with R2-D2. Instantly, the idea that R2 would be in the film took over and the minds of many fans began to melt.
But the story didn’t end there.
Today, on the official Star Wars blog, the StarWars.com revealed that not only would everyone’s favorite astromech droid would be in Episode VII, but he would be fan made. Lee Towersey and Oliver Steeples, both from the R2 builders club in the UK will be dealing with R2.
From the official site:
“It all started when Kathleen Kennedy toured the R2-D2 Builders area at Celebration Europe this past summer in Germany,” says Steeples, who finished his first R2-D2 in 2007, after 10 years of collecting parts and researching. “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.”
Lucasfilm has long been one of the most fan friendly companies in the world, and if this is the beginning of their relationship with fans, their acquisition by Disney has not diluted their spirit for the fans.
“It’s a dream come true,” adds Steeples, “and I hope I can live up to the expectations of the thousands of R2-D2 Builders around the world, let alone the millions of Star Wars fans.”
Somehow, I don’t think he’s going to let us down.