Remember the rolling ball droid in the Star Wars: Force Awakens trailer? Of course you do. It’s difficult to forget something so absurd. If you, like me, came to the natural conclusion that this effect was created with the aid of CGI, then prepare to have your mind blown; or at least slightly rattled.
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Speaking in an interview with Yahoo Movies, Mark Hamill, who is reprising his role as Luke Skywalker in the upcoming movie, said: “They never cease to amaze me with what they’re able to come up with, you know? I said, ‘How are you ever gonna top R2-D2, the most adorable droid in movie history?’ And then they have this new one. I can’t even tell you his name, but you saw it in the trailer, and when they were demonstrating how they did this thing, live on set — because it’s not CGI, that’s a live prop — I was just amazed.
“They let me play around with it. [Laughs] I was running it all around at the creature shop up in Pinewood. I’m telling you, it’s an absolute delight. And not having thought that I’d ever go back there, to go back into that world, is just – I get the chills. It’s just so much fun.”
Yes, the rolling droid – which we now know is named BB-8, is a practical effect. Considering one of the main complaints fans made in regards to the prequel trilogy was its overuse of computer-generated effects, leading to its worlds having a charmless, inorganic look, we’re happy that The Force Awakens‘ director JJ Abrams is looking to practical effects for his trilogy, at least in some capacity.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is set to release on December 18th, 2015. Watch BB-8 in action below:
