New guests — including a cloaked, lightning-shooting, Order 66-ordering Dark Lord of the Sith — and events are now confirmed for Star Wars Celebration, April 16-19 in Anaheim. Get the full details below!
Ian McDiarmid Strikes Back
The Emperor is coming here…? Yes. Yes, he is.
Ian McDiarmid, the actor who played Chancellor/Emperor Palpatine in the prequel and original trilogies, is set to sign autographs and take part in panel discussions at Star Wars Celebration. So be sure to double your efforts and attend!
The Autograph Galaxy Expands
The Celebration Autograph Hall by Official Pix is becoming busier than the Mos Eisley cantina. More Star Wars alums are confirmed to sign autographs, including:
- Erik Bauersfeld (Voice Actor — Admiral Ackbar and Bib Fortuna, Return of the Jedi)
- Stephen Costantino (Gamorrean Guard, Return of the Jedi)
- John Morton (Dak Ralter, The Empire Strikes Back)
- Brian Muir (Darth Vader Helmet & Armor Sculptor, Original Trilogy)
- Bonnie Piesse (Beru Whitesun Lars, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith)
- Clive Revill (Voice Actor — The Emperor, The Empire Strikes Back)
- Corey Dee Williams (Klaatu the Skiff Guard, Return of the Jedi)
Expertise from Inside the Force: Lucasfilm at Star Wars Celebration
Some of Lucasfilm’s most creative minds will be on hand for panel discussions, portfolio reviews, and special events. Find out who’s coming below, and look for full bios at StarWarsCelebration.com!
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- Troy Alders, art director, Disney Consumer Products – Portfolio Reviews
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- Christian Alzmann, senior art director, ILM – Panelist, Portfolio Reviews
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- Joel Aron, CG supervisor – Panelist
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- Anita Castellar, Lucasfilm Licensing – Panelist
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- Leland Chee, keeper of the Holocron – Panelist
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- Hez Chorba, brand creative director Lucasfilm/Disney Interactive – Portfolio Reviews
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- Amy Beth Christenson, senior concept designer, Lucasfilm Animation – Panelist, Portfolio Reviews
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- Chris Glenn, concept designer, Lucasfilm Animation – Panelist, Portfolio Reviews
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- Jennifer Heddle, senior editor, Lucasfilm/Disney Publishing Worldwide – Panelist
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- Pablo Hidalgo, Lucasfilm Story Group – Panelist, Host
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- Keith Kellogg, animation supervisor, Lucasfilm Animation – Panelist
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- Liz Marshall, production manager, Lucasfilm Animation – Panelist
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- Athena Yvette Portillo, line producer, Lucasfilm Animation – Panelist
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- Jonathan Rinzler, executive editor, Lucasfilm – Panelist
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- Pete Vilmur, PR senior writer, Lucasfilm – Panelist
In addition, Star Wars Rebels art director Kilian Plunkett will be on hand for panels and portfolio reviews!
Be an Architect of Cloud City!
Bespin is among the most stunning of Star Wars locales, and probably a great place to live. (Well, before the Empire took over, at least.) At Star Wars Celebration, you can help build the famous city in the clouds — with or without the Empire.
Frank D’Iorio and his talented crew are returning to Star Wars Celebration, this time to show kids of all ages how to build Bespin dioramas. Stop by their booth in Hall B, sponsored by Hasbro, and build your very own part of Cloud City. Sunday afternoon, kids can stop back by and take home their piece of the overall creation.
D’Iorio has been leading the Diorama Builders’ area since Celebration II in 2002. He and his group are some of the very first fans who started to make Celebrations “By the Fans; For the Fans.” Each Celebration they have planned and created the experience around a certain location in the Star Wars galaxy, and this time they are building Bespin.
As in past years, the Diorama Builders get lots of great donations from Hasbro to populate the final display. However if you have attended a Star Wars Celebration in the past, you know even that isn’t enough due to the huge size of the diorama that the fans create!
“This is where the Star Wars fans have come in full force every Celebration,” says D’Iorio, and how you can directly help in making this year’s creation another huge success. If you have any figures or ships that were seen in The Empire Strikes Back, or even any Hasbro figures from other Star Wars scenes that maybe are “vacationing” on Bespin, please send them to our Diorama Builders Figure Fund at the address below:”
Frank Diorio
c/o Celebration Anaheim Diorama Figure Fund
6318 Camino Marinero
San Clemente, CA
92673 USA
Please make sure your figures reach the Diorama Figure Fund before April 12, 2015.
All Star Wars toys donated by fans and by Hasbro will be placed in the final display and be given away to the kids who helped build the diorama during the dismantling of Bespin Sunday afternoon.
“Everything is given to the kids, nothing comes home with me or the Diorama Workshop Staff,” stresses D’Iorio. “The kids, staff and I thank you for your generosity. Star Wars fans truly are the best!”
For full coverage before and after the show, make sure visit DioramaWorkshop.com.
Stay tuned to StarWars.com and StarWarsCelebration.com for more on Star Wars Celebration 2015!
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