For a few weekends every year, Disney/MGM Studios Theme Park becomes an outpost of a galaxy far, far away — unearthly characters in getups beautiful and bizarre roam the streets, browsers congregate at an exotic bazaar to choose among limited-edition treasures found in few places throughout the galaxy, and everywhere can be heard the immortal words “May the Force be with you.”
This year, “Star Wars” Weekends will take Disney World Guests out of this world on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, between June 1 and 24. And, as he has been almost every year since the event began, actor Warwick Davis will be on hand to sign autographs, ride in the Legends of the Force Celebrity Motorcade, and meet the fans who make these weekends so special. Warwick found his acting career launched when he played Wicket the Ewok in “Return of the Jedi,” and he still has a special place in his heart for the “Star Wars” films and the fans who love them.
Last year was a special one for Warwick — he not only participated in “Star Wars” Weekends, but got to host. “It was really the most wonderful event for me,” he says. “I would have loved to have hosted again, but I’m so busy working on the film at the moment, and the schedule wouldn’t allow me the four weeks I would have needed to work on the event. I’m a bit disappointed, because I had such a good time last year,” he laments.
The film in questions is “Prince Caspian,” the second in Disney’s “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, and Warwick has a plum role as the wicked dwarf Nikabrik. “I do like playing baddies!” he admits. “As an actor, they’re always the most memorable roles. It’s a part you can get your teeth into — sometimes literally!” He says the cast has been sworn to secrecy — but that fans of the first film, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” will not be disappointed.
Warwick will be back and forth working on the film until the middle of June, but he was determined not to miss “Star Wars” Weekends altogether. Especially this year, when Lucasfilm Ltd. is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the “Star Wars” Saga. It’s a dilemma, but one for which Warwick has proposed an answer: “I wish there were three or four of me — I need to talk to George Lucas about a bit of cloning!” he laughs.
We’re still waiting for that day. In the meantime, you can meet the one and only Warwick in person on June 1 through 3 at this year’s “Star Wars” Weekends.
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