Orlando - Disney has no plans actually to repopulate suburban Orlando and southern California with cousins of Wookiee Chewbacca. But it seems that they'll be investing the equivalent of a small nation's gross national product in both places to make us think that they have.
This is what counted as galactic news in the United States and further afield this weekend. Standing before thousands of aficionados of all things Mickey at the D23 Expo in Anaheim - the bi-annual for disciples of Disney - chief executive Bob Iger confirmed what every Han Solo fan has been craving: Stars Wars World is coming!
Pitched as the largest expansion ever at the company's two American properties - Disney World in Florida and Disneyland outside Los Angeles - the company's “imagineers” who in the past have conjured up the African bush in Florida and Alice's Wonderland in California, will be let loose at both locations to create distinct Star Wars landscapes, each about 14 acres in size, complete, of course, with Star Wars rides, including one that will allow guests to pilot the Millennium Falcon.
It may be almost four decades since George Lucas made the first Stars Wars film in 1977, introducing movie-goers to Han Solo, played by Harrison Ford, and Chewbacca, played by someone in a very hot, very hairy jumpsui. But Lucasfilm was acquired by Disney three years ago for $4bn and fan-excitement is rising ahead of the December release of the first in a new trilogy of Star Wars films.
Now recovered from crashing his plane into a field, Ford will be back in the new film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and was naturally on hand at D23 to help Mr Iger unveil the theme-park plans. “It's a great thing to be here with you, who made this whole thing happen. I couldn't be happier,” said Mr Ford.
Others in the film waving the Disney flag in Anaheim at the weekend were Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o and British newcomer John Boyega. The second film in the new trilogy is expected in 2019.
“We're creating a jaw dropping new world that represents our largest single theme land expansion ever,” Mr Iger said of the new parks. “Nothing in the land will be out of character or stray from the mythology,” of the Star Wars legend, he said, priming Star Wars films scholars to expect droids to mix with gawping families from the Midwest (and presumably Britain) as well as “fantastic roaming beasts”.
Never knowingly to have overlooked an opportunity to merchandise its content, Disney will include expansive eateries at both Star Wars parks based on the franchise's famous Mos Eisley Cantina that appeared in the 1977 film, appropriately populated with a ruffian crowd of space freighter pilots, celestial con-artists and planetary pirates; hopefully actual violence will be kept to a minimum.
That this will be a costly undertaking is clear from the renderings of the parks that accompanied Mr Iger's announcement. But exactly how much the company will spend to take its park visitors to a galaxy far, far away, was not spelled out. But it's worth noting that the city of Anaheim last month gave the company a tax exemption on ticket sales at the park on condition that it commit to investing another $1bn to expand it. (And Disney will spend $5.5bn building a Shanghai theme park next year.)
Aside from the Millennium Falcon attraction (that's the name of Solo's ship) , the new parks will also feature a second ride described as an immersive dive into the chaotic and climactic heart of an ongoing space battle.
Construction in Anaheim will begin in 2017, although no start date has yet been announced for Disney World in Florida.
In the meantime, existing attractions at the US parks will receive a spruce-up to highlight the Star Wars theme. Thus Space Mountain, one of the old favourites at the parks in both locations, will be renamed Hyper Space Mountain, with new gimmicks and effects inspired by the film franchise.
Those of us who thought that Star Wars was a bit 20th century need to catch up. Star Wars is hot again - it's us that a bit 20th century. But fear not, the spinning teacups will never get old. Or be taken away.
The Independent