BEHIND THE SCENES: EVERYBODY, SAY... "MONSTER"!

With the near conclusion of filming of scenes set in Maz Kanata's waterhole on Takodana, J.J. Abrams, costume designer Michael Kaplan and creature supervisor Neal Scanlan pose for a group shot with the many bizarre aliens and droids created for The Force Awakens at Pinewood Studios.

EPISODE VII: LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS!

Our heroes old and new gather around Maz Kanata as Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber, later bequeathed to Luke by Obi-Wan Kenobi, is activated for the first time in decades, in this great conceptual art linked to an important The Force Awakens moment, courtesy of Matt Allsopp.

CLASSIC IMAGE: FIGHTING SPIRIT!

Maz Kanata's pirate castle might be demolished and her various clientele now engaged in battle against overwhelming First Order Stormtroopers, but Han Solo and Chewbacca are never out for the count in any desperate struggle, as seen here in this great action scene on this EPISODE VII TOPPS card.

BEHIND THE SCENES: MAZ TAKES SHAPE!

Clay maquette at Pinewood for the developing character of Maz Kanata.

Very much the Yoda-esque figure of the new sequel saga, Maz Kanata would be a welcome addition to the STAR WARS universe, with acclaimed and versatile actress Lupita Nyong'o imbuing the CGI figure of the wily space bar host with the gift of powerful wisdom and experience of the galaxy and its peoples, and with a big appreciation for a certain wookiee!

Maz will be back for some crucial revelations during the spectacular events of EPISODE VIII.

Lupita filming her scenes at the bar on Takodana.

 
STAR WARS AFICIONADO sends birthday wishes out to Lupita on this day. 

2015 was a great year indeed for the actress.

EPISODE VII: WE'RE ALL ALIENS!

Used to alien creatures of all kinds on Jakku, Rey is clearly enjoying meeting and experiencing the new variety of people's inside Maz Kanata's unique castle on Takodana, in this moment that didn't appear in the final cut, though could possibly appear in the upcoming 3D Blu-ray Collector's Edition set for THE FORCE AWAKENS, which includes new deleted scenes, available in the UK from October 31st, 2016, via Lucasfilm/Disney.

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Get the set here: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Collector's Edition Blu-ray 3D Region Free: Amazon.co.uk: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, J.J. Abrams: DVD & Blu-ray