Star Wars Lands in Britain
One hundred crates of props, space ships and costumes, along with 17 tons of tempered-glass display cases, will roll into London on 10 lorries bound for County Hall, near Westminster, for Star Wars: The Exhibition.
The event, which will cover 30,000 sq ft, is due to open on May 5. Among the objects on display, organisers hope to "land" a 27ft two-ton X-Wing jet fighter at the foot of the London Eye using cranes. Luke Skywalker piloted an X-wing when he destroyed the Death Star in Star Wars Episode IV. Although details have yet to be confirmed, the Naboo N-1 Starfighter, with its 22-foot wingspan, is expected to be nearby.
Speaking from San Francisco, the chief curator of the exhibition, Laela French, who is collections manager for Hollywood's Lucasfilm Archive, said the London show would be by far the biggest in the UK.
She said: "The show that's coming to London has been developed as a way of highlighting all six Star Wars films and so this is the full Star Wars saga.
Highlights of the exhibition, which is scheduled to run at least until Sept 1, will include the original Darth Vader costume and mask, Anakin Skywalker's pod racer, the C-3PO and R2-D2 robots and an original model of Yoda.
The first Star Wars film, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, opened in May 1977 and became the highest-grossing movie of all time, receiving eight Academy Awards.
Four of the six films so far were shot at Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, and Leavesden Studios, Watford, both in Hertfordshire.
Story in Full in the Daily Telegraph