Lucasfilm (via StarWars.com ) confirmed today that everyone's favorite overweight glob of grease, R2-D2, will be back on the big screen in Star Wars: Episode VII . Rumors began to swirl after an official behind-the-scenes photo (seen below) was posted online last week.

<em>J.J. Abrams, Lee Towersey, Oliver Steeples, and Kathleen Kennedy with R2-D2.</em>

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Not only that, but two Star Wars fans have been hired to build the droid for the big screen. The company announced that Lee Towersey and Oliver Steeples of the R2-D2 Builders Club have officially joined the Creature Effects team of director J.J. Abrams' upcoming sequel. They met Lucasfilm honcho Kathleen Kennedy while she was at last summer's Star Wars Celebration in Europe. Kennedy admired their handiwork at the show, during which they time they quipped they'd be willing to work on the film. Little did they know then that Kennedy took them at their word.“What we do need to do is improve on the mechanics,” says Towersey of Episode VII's Artoo. “We’re currently in a research and design phase where we’re looking at drive options for reliability on all possible terrains, whether it be a one-motor-does-all, or a system which is easily adjusted depending on terrain. We have a few mocked up ideas which we hope to road test very soon.”“It’s a dream come true,” says Steeples, “and I hope I can live up to the expectations of the thousands of R2-D2 Builders around the world, let alone the millions of Star Wars fans.”Star Wars: Episode VII opens December 18, 2015.