Disney recently shared a ton of details regarding
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, the massive
Star Wars-themed expansion coming this year to Hollywood Studios. Among the many exciting, new details, it was revealed that familiar Weequay will be making brought to life via some very impressive animatronics.
As revealed on the Star Wars blog:
Hondo Ohnaka, the shady, fan-favorite pirate from the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, has been brought to life as one of Disney Parks’ most complex Audio-Animatronics figures ever created. You’ll find him waiting in the control tower of a Black Spire Outpost spaceport in the attraction Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run; he’s teamed up with Chewbacca and needs you to transport some cargo on the iconic bucket of bolts.
Original voice actor Jim Cummings returned to voice the smuggler, reportedly delivering the same" funny and demonstrative, gregarious yet selfish" tone fans will recognize from the series.
The Clone Wars supervising director Dave Filoni had a major role in advising what Hondo's story in
Galaxy's Edge would be. According to Disney, you'll be able to use your phone to message and interact with Hondo, and many other
Galaxy's Edge characters, so perhaps you'll be able to find out more of his backstory through the Play Disney Parks App.
"
One of the things that we aimed for is finding the opportunities to honor all levels of fandom, whatever part of the galaxy they’ve participated in, and he became a great choice as someone to meet here on Black Spire,” said Carrie Beck, vice president of animation and live-action series at Lucasfilm.
“Additionally, I think the opportunity to bring a character from animation into real life was something that we’ve never done before, and I think it was really exciting to all of us to think about the opportunity that exists.”
If you're not familiar with
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, it transports guests to the remote planet of Batuu where they will explore the Black Spire Outpost, an infamous stop for traders, adventurers, and smugglers around the Outer Rim. The new park expansion will feature two new attractions, numerous characters from the franchise, unique food and drink options, and plenty of shopping opportunity.
Walt Disney Imagineering posted a behind-the-scenes video on the advanced animatronic work they used to bring Hondo to life.
A1000 advanced robotics are the next evolution of the A100 Audio-Animatronic figures that were first introduced by Walt Disney Imagineering in the mid-1980s. This standardized system for building humanoid robotic figures incorporates new electric functionality, replacing former hydraulic functions, producing extremely realistic, lifelike movement. Future figures in humanoid form can all use this system to ensure the same degree of realism and advanced levels of movement.
Star Wars fans can see Hondo and so much more come to life when
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge invites them to step through the gates of Hollywood Studios and into a galaxy far, far away.