Ever since Star Wars: A New Hope, the role of R2-D2 has been played by Kenny Baker. That was until the universally-loved Baker sadly passed away last year, aged 81. According to a tweet by Oh So Small, Actor Jimmy Vee will succeed the role of the lovable little droid whose presence has been consistent throughout the saga, in Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi.
We're thrilled to announce that #OhSoSmall actor @RealJimmyVee is the new #R2D2!
Full story here: https://t.co/eR2OKAdDR4#StarWars pic.twitter.com/FT1IAWno8I
— Oh So Small (@OhSoSmall) February 13, 2017
Vee is no stranger to the worlds of fantasy and sci-fi epics having already appeared in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and countless episodes Doctor Who. In fact, Vee had already been working with Baker on The Force Awakens, though all credit went to the latter. In his statement, Jimmy Vee said:
“It’s been an absolute pleasure to have worked alongside the legendary Kenny Baker. Kenny was a fantastic actor and taught me all the ‘tricks’ on how he brought R2-D2 to life which I will continue to portray in his honor. I’m so excited to be a part of the Star Wars universe and can’t wait for everyone to see what we’ve been working so hard on for the last year.”
There has been no trailer yet for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but it can certainly be expected to continue the stories introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The returning cast includes Mark Hamill, the late Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Lupita Nyong’o, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christine and Andy Serkis. Joining them for the first time are Benicio Del Toro, Laura Dern and Kelly Marie Tran.
The film is written and directed by Rian Johnson, produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman with Executive Producers J.J.Abrams, Jason McGatlin and Tom Karnowski. The Last Jedi is set for release on December 15th 2017.
What is your favourite R2-D2 moment? Let us know in the comments.
