R2-D2 was made of wood?
This picture was taken during the first stages of shooting on A New Hope. As we can see, Lucas is posing next to the wooden frame for a droid that would be used for the film.
Although it may not be apparent at first, close inspection of its features will reveal that this is actually a primary design of R2-D2. The original frame for the robot was made out of sturdy, yet lightweight wood during the early days of filming to act as more of a stand-in to get a better idea of how scenes would play out once they got the real, furbished version complete.
The R2 dummy became quite a point of humor among crew members who, apparently, would take to hiding it and decorating it for birthdays and holidays. Eventually Lucas would decide on making the final version blue and white to make it have a pleasant and signature look. He also claims that he felt this would be a good choice to compliment the golden colors of C-3PO. Kenny Baker would go on to actually inhabit the final costume and perform the role. Wooden props would also be used to create many objects for the films, such as the Death Star and nearly all of the sets.
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