Today, Lucasfilm kicked offStar Wars Celebrationin Orlando, Flordia and while the Celebration is always an exciting to-do, the 40th Anniversary ofStar Wars: A New Hopegave the event just that extra bit of shine. In honor of the anniversary, the panel brought out a team of Star Wars powerhouses, both the stars of the franchise and the behind-the-scenes creatives that turned the Star Wars into the international powerhouse we know and love.
Warwick Davishosted the kickoff event for Star Wars Celebration 2017, and brought out a slew of important and notable Star Wars personalities:George Lucas,Kathleen Kennedy,Dave Filoni,Ian McDiarmid,Hayden Christensen,Billy Dee Williams,Peter Mayhew,Anthony Daniels,Mark Hamill,Harrison Ford,Billie LourdandJohn Williamswere all there in person, withLiam NeesonandSamuel L. Jacksonmaking appearances via video message. Check out more than 45 images from the event below.

For more Star Wars celebration coverage click the links below and stay tuned over the next few days as we bring you reactions, recaps and more. Tomorrow brings the highly-anticipated The Last Jedi (and fingers crossed a trailer!), and there’s plenty more to come over the weekend. Be sure to check out ourFacebookandTwitterfeed where our on-the-ground reporter Aubrey Page is posting highlights and live updates.
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