Star Wars creator/writer/director George Lucas will make an extraordinary guest appearance at Celebration III. His appearance at the Indiana Convention Center during the huge Star Wars fan festival will mark the first time that Lucas has attended a fan convention since the gathering that marked the 10-year anniversary of A New Hope in 1987.

"George has been very busy finishing Episode III, getting the last shots from ILM, and doing the final mix," said Steve Sansweet, Lucasfilm's head of Fan Relations. "So we were delighted that he was able to carve some time out from a heavily-booked schedule to share some of his thoughts with fans in person as he completes this amazing 30-year screen saga."

The filmmaker will be appearing on the Sagamore Ballroom stage with host Jay Laga'aia, where he will answer questions about his experiences creating the Star Wars saga, the surprises along the way, and his thoughts about what might come next both for him as a filmmaker and for Star Wars after Revenge of the Sith leaves the big screen.

Final details are being arranged, but Lucas has confirmed his plans to be in Indianapolis at some point during the four-day Celebration III, April 21 -- 24. Gen Con LLC, which is managing Celebration III in partnership with Lucasfilm, has reopened its advance ticket sales from now through 5:00 PM PST this Friday, April 8. If you haven't purchased a ticket yet, this is one way to guarantee your ability to attend the biggest Star Wars fan convention ever. Advance ticket sales already are well more than double those of advanced sales for Celebration II.

Please check the onsite schedule and the Information Booth at the Indiana Convention Center for the details of Lucas' appearance at Celebration III. The details will also be posted on www.starwars.com/c3 before the show. To purchase advance tickets for Celebration III go to www.starwarscelebration.com until Friday, April 8, 5:00 PM PST. Badges for Celebration III may be picked up at appropriately-marked Will Call kiosks in the registration area at the Convention Center. Because it is so close to the show, Gen Con will be able to process only regular orders during the extension period. Those who wish to add Official Star Wars Fan Club member benefits to their order may do so at the Fan Club Kiosk during the show.