The "Star Wars" camp has officially confirmed the appearance of R2-D2 in J.J. Abrams upcoming franchise film.
"Star Wars Episode 7" will feature a fan-made version of the robot, seen in the photo below tweeted by Abrams himself.
"Meet Lee Towersey and Oliver Steeples, Star Wars fans and members of the worldwide R2-D2 Builders Club," StarWars.com explained in their official blog. "They create fully functioning, film-accurate astromech droids like the R2-D2 seen in the photo, and they're officially part of the creature effects team for Star Wars: Episode VII. They didn't apply for their jobs, but still had what is probably the best reference one could hope for."
The process was exciting one for Steeples, who finished his first R2-D2 model in 2007 after spending 10 years collecting parts for the droid, according to StarWars.com.
Hi from the workshop! #StarWarsVII pic.twitter.com/9R7JGSfxlC
— Bad Robot (@bad_robot) November 14, 2013
"It all started when Kathleen Kennedy toured the R2-D2 Builders area at Celebration Europe this past summer in Germany," Steeples said. "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."
With "Stars Wars Episode 7" casting and production in full swing, Steeples is grateful to be a part of the fill making experience.
"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."
"Star Wars Episode 7" is set to hit theaters on Dec. 18, 2015. No casting news for the film has been confirmed, but original cast members Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford are rumored to be featured in the movie.
