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Secret Star Wars Production Shooting in Hollywood

Posted on Friday, May 1st, 2009 by Peter Sciretta

Boba Fett Star Wars

Yesterday was the third day of a secret LucasFilm film shoot in West Hollywood. If you were allowed to enter the “LODESTAR” production stage, you would’ve seen Boba Fett, Admiral Ackbar, a Tusken Raider, and even some Jawas. C3PO himself Anthony Daniels will be filming later this week.

So what is LucasFilm shooting? The good news is that George Lucas isn’t making a another Star Wars movie (not yet anyways) or additional scenes for some super duper special edition. And No, the Star Wars live-action television series has yet to begin production. So what is it? Answer after the jump.
LucasFilm is shooting new footage for the Disney’s Star Tours ride.

Sorry guys, had to do the big tease. It was too good not to…

The ride really hasn’t been updated since it opened in 1987.  It’s not the total podracer reboot that was rumored a few years back, thank God. I’m hearing that its essentially the same ride but updated. It sounds to me like they might be shooting the footage in 3D, but I’m not sure.

Our source reveals that the revamp will incorporate prequel characters (like Naboo citizens and Geonosians) along with many aliens from the original trilogy (Aqualish. Bith, Rodians, etc). In the action sequence, the Star Tours vehicle is now going to be chased by Boba Fett.  C3PO and R2-D2 are still the hosts, and Anthony Daniels will be recording his parts this week. Admiral Ackbar holographically communicates with the Star Tours vehicle. Right now they’re shooting mostly green screen footage, as it is the middle part of the production timeline.

I was a huge fan of this ride as a kid, but when I revisited it a few years back, it did feel dated. Not in a “Back to the Future… The Ride” way. The experience of entering the Star Wars universe was still there, it was the technology that felt dated, especially compared to some of the rides that have been opened in the last decade. If the revamp incorporates 3D as I suspect (there is a convergence tech on set) and features new action sequences (ie Boba Fett), it would add new life to the aging theme park attraction.

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Action/Adventure, LucasFilm, Sci-Fi, Sequels, Theme Parks, , ,

  • No Peter...it's a trap!
  • Solid
    *shrugs* i guess It's for today's kids. i couldn't get re-interested in star wars if it could get me laid.
  • Wow, you set the bar pretty high. Nothing could get you laid. (Sorry, sometimes you have to swing at something that was that slow of a pitch :-) )
  • Wow, you set the bar pretty high. Nothing could get YOU laid. (Sorry, sometimes you have to swing at something that was that slow of a pitch :-) )
  • Goobity
    Ha Ha. You bashed Star Wars on an internet movie blog. How cool are you?
  • jupiter
    Star Wars got everyone I know laid. No joke. Fan clubs = dens of sexual promiscuity!

    (Not really.)

    But yeah, it did get us all laid.
  • Sean
    That was a let down...
  • You honestly had higher expectations?
  • Lucas's funeral video tribute.
  • Don
    This could turn out amazing! I love star tours. 3-d on this ride would be awesome as well as a showdown with Boba Fett! I always kinda felt the blowing up of the death star was a little tough to swallow for the concept of the ride. But I've loved it nonetheless. Star Tours reboot makes me happy!
  • Truecoat
    Awhile back, they shut down one of the vehicles and were showing bugs life It's tough to be a bug 3d video on it to see what it looked like.
  • wdw4us
    nice
  • that's the best idea ever. Boba fett
  • Wasn't the Star Tours ride replaced a while back? Or am I thinking of something else...
  • Palmer
    Possibly confusing the Back to the Future ride being replaced by The Simpsons ride?
  • Nope, nope, definitely a Disney ride... I think I was thinking of the Captain Eo ride.
  • Truecoat
    Yeah, EO was replaced by Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. That needs to be replaced too.
  • General Zod Salkind
    "Star Tours," "Indiana Jones," "Roger Rabbit" at Disneyland are freakin' awesome rides... nice to see worthy franchises get good rides. "Star Tours" definitely needs an update to some extent; I do like this Boba Fett chase idea. The "Indy" ride would be so much better if Harrison Ford had used his voice in it, rather than some awful impersonation - I mean, Lucas and Spielberg pretty much designed that right. And I love that Disney still shows the love for "Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin." It might not be the best ride based on a movie, but it's to know that it's not forgotten.

    The "Back to the Future Ride" at Universal was definitely dated, very early 1990's. There was serious talk at one point about doing "Back to the Future... The Ride Part II," which could have had potential. It's just to bad that it's gone; I kind of miss having it around. "Jurassic Park" is a great ride as well, but seriously need some refurbishment. And killing the "E.T. Adventure" and replacing it with "The Mummy" rollercoaster was just stupid. Half the rides and attractions at both U.S. Universal parts are all based on other studio properties. "Twister: Ride It Out" (Warner Bros.); "The Simpson's Ride" (20th Century Fox); "Terminator 2: 3-D" (Lionsgate); "Men in Black: Alien Attack" (Sony).

    At least Disney takes care and looks after their rides. Universal is just crap these days.
  • Neither Star Wars nor Indy are Disney properties in terms of feature film rights.
  • Truecoat
    Please note, it looks like they are redoing the animatronics for Indy in the future possibly next year. My guess is they'll get Harrison to do the voice now too.
  • It's true what miggy_biggie said; STAR WARS and INDY aren't Disney properties. But yet they don't feel so blatantly money driven they way Universal seems to do things. Maybe that's because Disney takes a little more pride and care in both the upkeep and the creativity of their attractions.

    BACK TO THE FUTURE... THE RIDE: PART II... fanboy fodder. Not true. One of the many reasons I believe the ride was replaced, was simply the upkeep. I know in the last couple of years at the Universal Studios Hollywood park, it had everything from broken television sets, cracks in the building, to just simple janitorial work had been ignored. Forget the attractions, their DeLorean on display is in shambles. It's an embarrassment to even put it out for public viewing. But that's Universal for you; typical modern studio mentality; all run by the bean counters - only current movies will do; which is a prime example of the closing of E.T. I'm actually surprised that the Hollywood park hasn't incorporated the JAWS attraction like the one at the Florida and Japan park. Bruce the Shark on the backlot tour is a joke if you ask me.

    I just hope whatever Lucasfilm incorporates into this new footage for STAR TOURS, that Jar Jar and the Ewoks aren't anywhere near it.
  • Justin Craig
    They keep removing Universal Studios Hollywood rides because there's limited space to build on. It's sad that they only have like 3 or 4 spots to put rides though. Makes for a shitty park but at least you can drink.
  • Oh man, I was hoping for a new Star Wars Holiday Special...
  • ChaseGrebb
    Boom!
    Bobba Fett
  • Zac
    call me when they shoot Boogie Nights: The Ride.

    7 minutes of Phillip Seymour Hoffman crying.
  • Danny
    thank you! I totally agree with you on all of that. Also, Disney knows how to make fantastic original attractions instead of just relying on properties. Can't wait for the revamp! This will be just fantastic!
  • BlueBobcat
    ...C3PO and R2-D2 aren't the "hosts" in the current ride... it's the pilot who is some generic robot going on his "first flight". Sorry, had to get technical.

    Anyway, about time they updated it. Can't wait to ride it with some new footage!
  • GENERIC robot? how dare you call Rex that.
  • Justin Craig
    You're right! And he should really be used to his programming by now.
  • Brad
    Some "Generic Robot" voiced by Paul Rubens? Ok, sure.
  • Peter that was plain mean! Though an update to Star Tours is awesome I love that ride, but definitely needs an update and new story.
  • HollywoodHills
    Curious about the live action, series? All you need to know.
    http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Wars_live-act...
  • Oh Peter...you so sneaky.
  • Beat me too it
  • John
    Lets all pray that Jar Jar doesn't make an appearance!
  • i hope that they KEEP REX, voiced by Pee Wee himself..PAUL REUBENS.
  • kabraz
    i was all excited there for a sec...
  • Jake
    No one else is excited that Admiral Ackbar has a prominent role in this re-vamp?

    http://admiralackbarplease.ytmnd.com/
  • I'm there!
  • By the way C3PO isn't a host of the Star Tours ride. C3PO is in the que but not in the actual show. The host is the RX-24 robot nicknamed Rex.
  • Captain Molotov
    Psst.

    Pssssst.

    I still love Star Wars.
  • This is great, I've always been a big fan of Star Tours, but yes it does feel dated. Boba Fett is a great choice to include in this. I'm glad that they made the Jedi Training Academy a permanent feature at Disney World instead of just having it during SW Weekends. Is there any date on when they plan on having it updated because I was wanting to make another trip to Disney World sometime in October this year.
  • Solid
    Whatever. No one's wasted more time dedicated to star wars than I have. I think I've earned the right to be a little butthurt, dawg.
  • Blackphyr
    They are too the "hosts". C-3PO and R2-D2 keep you entertained when you're going through the queue. And you spend a LOT more time in the queue than you do on the actual ride. Host != Star. Rod Serling was the host of the Twilight Zone, but was not the focal point of any of the episodes. Chew on that.

    Also R2-D2 rides with you the entire way in the ride. You see him on the monitor.

    P.S. That "generic droid" is Paul Reubens aka Pee-Wee Herman.
  • Blackphyr
    IT'S A TOURIST TRAP!
  • Blackphyr
    And yet you felt compelled to read a story about it. That's pretty sad. Still, I'm sure you know what you're doing. You're probably now devoted to something with far more lasting appeal like Richard Bay's Transformers movies, or the Fantastic Four films. Right? :P
  • Emily L
    This sounds awesome, but I will be upset nonetheless if they get rid of Captain Rex. He is a major symbol of my childhood, and I would hate to see him go.
  • Julian TK-3681
    I will make the trip from the UK To Florida just for this update of the startours ride!!I cant wait!!!
  • topheavy
    The prequels have dated star wars for me as yet another thing I will to burn out of memory.
  • Tyler
    Sounds good, but how about some new good rides, instead of the constant updates that are hardly noticeable after.
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