ORLANDO — Star Wars creator George Lucas said it best as he helped kick off the 40th anniversary celebration for his 1977 landmark sci-fi classic: “It’s a film for 12-year-olds.”

And the ongoing world he helped create? That’s for the hardcore fans.

“In the real world, critics, certain fans — they’re not kind. But you see the kids and the look on their face… that’s who I do it for.”

Lucas was just one of the many surprise guests at the 40 Years of Star Wars panel hosted by Warwick Davis. He was joined by Harrison Ford — making his convention debut — Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Ian McDiarmid, Peter Mayhew, Billy Dee Williams, Hayden Christensen, Carrie Fisher’s daughter Billie Lourd (in her first public appearance since her mother’s death) and Star Wars composer John Williams, who conducted music from the films with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra.

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy helped kick off the festivities and thanked the thousands of fans who packed the Galaxy Stage at the Orlando Convention Center — many of whom had slept outside overnight.

Speaking above the din of cheers, Lucas said his goal with 1977’s Episode IV — A New Hope was to make “a high adventure film that I loved when I was a kid with meaningful, psychological themes.”

He continued: “It was designed to be a film that told young people, ‘This is what we stand for.’ You're 12 years old. You're going to go on in the big world… and here's an idea of some of the things you should pay attention to. Friendships, honesty, and trust and doing the right thing. Living on the Light Side. Avoiding the Dark Side."

From there, Lucas paid tribute to the creative team who helped him tell his Star Wars story — which he brilliantly summed up as “dogs flying spaceships” — over six films.

Star Wars Rebels executive producer Dave Filoni was first up and they talked about bringing the franchise to television through the series’ animated shows.

“TV is a great experimental cauldron,” Lucas said. “It’s a way to put out a lot of stories that are more interesting as a long form story.”

Liam Neeson, who played Qui Gon Jinn in Episode I — The Phantom Menace, appeared next via video jokingly teasing a very special Star Wars spinoff.

“We're making a very unofficial movie in the Canadian Rockies about Jar Jar Binks and what happened to Jar Jar. Spoiler alert: he did go to the Dark Side.”

Ian McDiarmid and Hayden Christensen joined Lucas to talk about the making of the prequel films, while Samuel L. Jackson appeared via video to make a pitch for his character Mace Windu to return to the Star Wars universe.

“It was a difficult habit to break,” Christensen said, revealing that he too made his own lightsaber sound effects when he played Anakin Skywalker in Episodes II and III.

Fan favourites Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels and Peter Mayhew (who remembered Carrie Fisher as a “hell of a rebel” and a “beautiful princess”) also shared their Star Wars memories.

Then the heavy hitters arrived.

In a black leather bomber, Mark Hamill thanked the fans for being more supportive than his actual family.

“I’ve always been stunned that the passion has lasted,” he said, after embracing Lucas.

Lucas admitted that he tested a lot of actors for the part of Luke Skywalker, while Hamill revealed that he begged George to remove one line from A New Hope.

“I tried to talk him out of that line. ‘Aren’t you a little short for a Stormtrooper?’”

To thunderous applause, Ford made a surprise — unannounced — appearance, hugging his original trilogy co-stars, while taking jabs about his recent piloting woes from Davis.

"I can't believe we managed to keep it a secret, considering you landed your plane on I-4," Davis joked.

Ford smirked: "Yeah, but it was a good landing."

But the actor — who arguably became the biggest star of the series — paid tribute to the role of Han Solo, which helped launch his career.

“It wasn’t the very beginning,” Ford said. “The very beginning was a part — also with George — in American Graffiti. And then I went back to doing carpentry work. Then along came George once again to pull me up and put me to work in an extraordinary event that we all celebrate.

“It’s been a good ride.”

“He got the part because in the end I asked him, this is about spaceships and flying and stuff like that, I said ‘Do you know how to fly?'” said Lucas.

Ford smiled as he replied, “I said, fly, yeah. Land?” he trailed off to great laughter from the audience.

Twitter: @markhdaniell

MDaniell@postmedia.com