Droid character to be constructed by builders spotted by film-makers at fan convention

Series veteran R2D2 has become the first character to be officially confirmed for the new Star Wars film.

Disney confirmed yesterday that the diminutive droid, who appeared in the very first scenes of 1977's Star Wars and has been seen in five subsequent live action movies, would be returning for JJ Abrams' film. R2D2 had earlier been seen in a production still for the movie from the writer-director's production company Bad Robot.

The studio also revealed that it had hired specialist British Star Wars fan droid builders Lee Towersey and Oliver Steeples to work on Episode VII. The pair, who can be seen with R2D2, Abrams and LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy in the still, were recruited by the latter at a conference in Germany this summer.

"It all started when Kathleen Kennedy toured the R2-D2 Builders area at Celebration Europe this past summer in Germany," Steeples told the official Star Wars blog. "She posed for pictures with us, looked at all the droids we'd built and was very complimentary. I mentioned that the R2-D2 Builders in the UK were available if required, as a semi-joke. When I was contacted to work on the film by [executive producer] Jason McGatlin, it was on her recommendation."

The worldwide R2-D2 Builders Club creates fully functioning, film-accurate astromech droids like the R2-D2 seen in the photo.

Steeples and Towersey, both from England, are working full-time on Star Wars: Episode VII at Pinewood studios, where the snap was taken. The pair's recruitment adds to the British feel for the project, which is shooting early next year in London for a Christmas 2015 release date.

Disney is producing Star Wars Episode VII after buying all rights to the long-running space opera for $4.05bn in October last year. A new trilogy is planned, as well as a series of spinoff "origins" movies, which could focus on iconic characters from earlier films such as Yoda, Han Solo and Boba Fett. Taken together, they will usher in an era in which a new Star Wars movie arrives every year from 2015.

Series veterans Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) and Harrison Ford (Han Solo), have all been tipped to return, but Disney has not yet confirmed any casting details.

Open auditions for two leading roles were held in Bristol, Manchester, London, Glasgow and Dublin earlier this month. There have also been reports of auditions in the US.

R2D2 was portrayed by Kenny Baker in all six previous Star Wars film. It is not known if the 79-year-old actor will return for Episode VII.