The next Star Wars movies will feature a raft of 'legacy characters' and perhaps a return for past villains.
That's according to two of Star Wars: The Force Awakens' visual effects team who have broken ranks to hint that favourites from George Lucas' original trilogy, including Jabba The Hut, may well be back.
And while creatives Neal Scanlan and Christopher Corbould credited JJ Abrams with coming up with new robot BB8, they said it was puppeteers and the cast who helped give the rolling droid its human-like qualities - guaranteeing it a role in future films.
So excited: The Force Awakens VFX duo Neal Scanlan, left, and Chris Corbould turned up at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles awards season tea party in Beverly Hills on Saturday
He could return: 'We have heard rumours of all different characters coming back and I had heard Jabba The Hutt (left) but to be honest I cannot confirm that one way or the other, said Neal
The award-winning British effects expert were speaking at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles (BAFTA Los Angeles) awards season Tea Party at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills on Saturday.
'There is a huge amount of secrecy around all of the films and we never really know exactly what the characters are until way way down the line,' said Neal, an Oscar winning animatronics expert.
'We have heard rumours of all different characters coming back and I had heard Jabba The Hutt, but to be honest I cannot confirm that one way or the other, It is certainly not on the cards quite yet.'
On a roll: And the pair broke the wall of secrecy surrounding upcoming Star Wars films by revealing that some new characters, such as the BB8 droid, and some old characters would return
He continued: 'The wonderful legacy characters are always going to carry on forward. BB8 has now become a legacy character in its own right and I am sure that character will develop along with the main characters as well.
'The idea is to take forward the same Star Wars characters that have become the fans' favourites from this, as they did from the original New Hope and the series from there.'
Chris added: 'The sky is limit for us in the next two films.'
In a heck of a hurry: Daisy Ridley as Rey, left, and John Boyega as Finn run from a blast followed by BB8 who has become an immediate fan favourite, according to Neal, who won an Oscar for the movie Babe in 1995
BB8 has become an immediate fan favourite, according to Neal, who won his Academy Award for the movie Babe in 1995.
JJ famously drew the droid on a napkin 'which I liken it to Picasso drawing on a serviette,' he said .
'As soon as you looked at it you thought that is definitely the next generation. If R2D2 was going to develop 30 years on what would he look like - this is a a great way forward.
Living being: Two puppeteers operate BB8 and they made sounds like the droid so that Daisy Ridley as Rey could respond. Neal said: 'He was another part of the cast and crew'
'So It would have been tough to really lose his soul, because he just looks amazing even before he moves. A sphere on a ball is a fantastic concept.'
All ages of fans have connected to BB8's humanity, which Neal puts down to JJ's directing and the puppet team.
'There are two puppeteers that operate BB8, they are actors in their own right. When we filmed sequences Brian Herring - the lead puppeteer, would make BB8 sounds so that Daisy (Ridley) and John Boyega could respond and he was another part of the cast and crew.
'JJ was able to develop his character along with the other characters. He wasn't a special effect.'
Neal and Chris have been buoyed by the critical reaction and box office success of the movie and want to strive for even more exciting creatures in the upcoming sequels.
'We have to keep pushing on. We are in a special place at the moment we have the physical side, the creature side and we have digital side. And that offers us fantastic opportunities to do things that audiences maybe haven't seen for a while. There is plenty of scope for us to explore.'
Together forever: R2D2 and C3PO now have another droid regular in the star cast
Star Wars has become the highest grossing film in the US and is on its way to eclipsing Avatar as the highest box office global smash of all time.
And JJ Abrams, is 'over the moon' about his success in reviving the franchise's image.
Chris admitted: 'JJ lived and breathed the whole film from day one and we were pretty confident that he was going to turn in a great job,. And he was over the moon and thrilled with what he achieved.'
Neal added: 'Everybody does the best they can and tries to fulfill the role. and it appears that has gone down well. I haven't had any hate mail yet.'
Out in force: Neal and Christopher revealed that many of the new characters would return in eighth edition of the sci-fi space franchise and Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, backed up by Stormtroopers, is likely to be one
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