THE FAN-MADE PROPS COMING TO STAR WARS CELEBRATION ORLANDO AND THE STARWARS.COM STAGE

Via Starwars.com:

STARWARS.COM SPEAKS WITH THE FANS BEHIND INCREDIBLE REPLICAS OF THE MILLENNIUM FALCON, REY’S SPEEDER, AND MORE.

Take a seat on a Corellian freighter, consider escaping aboard an Imperial TIE, or visit Jabba’s palace in the desert of Tatooine — four fan prop builders have taken the Star Wars universe from big screen to epic reality, creating larger-than-life ships and creatures to enrapture fans gathering at Celebration Orlando and the StarWars.com stage this week.

Inside the Orange County Convention Center, a full-scale A New Hope-era TIE fighter looks like it just flew in from a nearby space station. The interior of the Millennium Falcon makes the perfect backdrop for interviewing actors and other important figures who keep the saga alive. And the crime lord Jabba the Hutt and his pet rancor will be on hand to keep any smugglers in line lest they become a new piece of throne room wall art.

The crews behind the builds in Germany, Belgium, and a galaxy not-so-far away — Jacksonville, Florida — gave StarWars.com a glimpse behind the scenes of their massive homages to celebrate four decades of imaginative wonder.

Chewie, get us out of here!

Han Solo’s oft-maligned hunk of junk was brought to life halfway around the globe in the BCD warehouse and workshop in Brussels. The builders at the Belgian prop crew also answer to the name “Imperial Dogs,” after they were christened by George Lucas himself as he signed their AT-AT build at the first Celebration in Orlando, founder Stefan Cembolista says.

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