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R2-D2's Secret Adventures: All the 'Star Wars' Droid's Stealth Movie Cameos Revealed

  • <p>George Lucas’s good buddy Steven Spielberg was the first to cast R2-D2 in a stealthy cameo. The droid was affixed to the bottom of the alien mothership, crafted by Lucas’s FX house, ILM. Today, visitors to the <a rel="nofollow noopener" href="http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?id=A19790906000" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center</a> can view the model and its intricate details, including the<a rel="nofollow noopener" href="http://www.oddthingsiveseen.com/2010/11/photo-essay-close-encounters-mothership.html" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:astromech and a TIE fighter;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link "> astromech and a TIE fighter</a>. <i>(Credit: Columbia Pictures)</i></p>
    1/8

    ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ (1977)

    George Lucas’s good buddy Steven Spielberg was the first to cast R2-D2 in a stealthy cameo. The droid was affixed to the bottom of the alien mothership, crafted by Lucas’s FX house, ILM. Today, visitors to the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center can view the model and its intricate details, including the astromech and a TIE fighter. (Credit: Columbia Pictures)

  • <p>The classic Lucas-Spielberg joint included hieroglyphics of R2-D2 and C-3PO in the Egyptian temple, visible as Han Solo — er. Indiana Jones — attempted to excavate the Ark of the Covenant. <i>(Credit: Paramount Pictures)</i></p>
    2/8

    ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ (1981)

    The classic Lucas-Spielberg joint included hieroglyphics of R2-D2 and C-3PO in the Egyptian temple, visible as Han Solo — er. Indiana Jones — attempted to excavate the Ark of the Covenant. (Credit: Paramount Pictures)

  • <p>Richard Donner’s rollicking adventure flick (which was based on a story by Spielberg, who also produced) had a tribute to Artoo that didn’t make it on screen. The droid was hidden on the deck of the pirate ship that sets sail at the end; Warners later revealed the Easter egg in a closeup photo of the ILM model. <i>(Credit: Warner Bros.)</i></p>
    3/8

    ‘Goonies’ (1985)

    Richard Donner’s rollicking adventure flick (which was based on a story by Spielberg, who also produced) had a tribute to Artoo that didn’t make it on screen. The droid was hidden on the deck of the pirate ship that sets sail at the end; Warners later revealed the Easter egg in a closeup photo of the ILM model. (Credit: Warner Bros.)

  • <p>As noted <i>Star Wars</i> fan (and future <i>The Force Awakens </i>helmer) J.J. Abrams told Yahoo: “Artoo’s been in all of the movies I’ve done, really for no other reason than I’m a huge fan, and when I was a kid I realized that Artoo was also in <i>Close Encounters</i>.” In <i>M:I-3</i>, Abrams’s big-screen directorial debut, eagle-eyed fans can spot a half-buried Artoo as Tom Cruise and Keri Russell escape from a Berlin hideout. <i>(Credit: Paramount Pictures)</i></p>
    4/8

    ‘Mission: Impossible III’ (2006)

    As noted Star Wars fan (and future The Force Awakens helmer) J.J. Abrams told Yahoo: “Artoo’s been in all of the movies I’ve done, really for no other reason than I’m a huge fan, and when I was a kid I realized that Artoo was also in Close Encounters.” In M:I-3, Abrams’s big-screen directorial debut, eagle-eyed fans can spot a half-buried Artoo as Tom Cruise and Keri Russell escape from a Berlin hideout. (Credit: Paramount Pictures)

  • <p>In Abrams’s next film, the <i>Star Wars</i>-tinged reboot of <i>Star Trek,</i> R2-D2 floats among space debris as the <i>Enterprise</i> confronts Nero’s warship following the destruction of Vulcan. <i>(Credit: Paramount Pictures)</i></p>
    5/8

    ‘Star Trek’ (2009)

    In Abrams’s next film, the Star Wars-tinged reboot of Star Trek, R2-D2 floats among space debris as the Enterprise confronts Nero’s warship following the destruction of Vulcan. (Credit: Paramount Pictures)

  • <p>A month after the <i>Trek</i> reboot hit theaters in 2009, the astromech found himself mixed up in the Autobot-Decepticon battle in the Michael Bay-directed, Spielberg-produced blockbuster. <i>(Credit: Paramount Pictures)</i></p>
    6/8

    ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ (2009)

    A month after the Trek reboot hit theaters in 2009, the astromech found himself mixed up in the Autobot-Decepticon battle in the Michael Bay-directed, Spielberg-produced blockbuster. (Credit: Paramount Pictures)

  • <p>In <i>Super 8</i>, Abrams’s homage to Spielberg’s ‘80s oeuvre, the original Kenner R2-D2 action figure earns screen time tucked among the models. <i>(Credit: Paramount Pictures)</i><br></p>
    7/8

    ‘Super 8’ (2011)

    In Super 8, Abrams’s homage to Spielberg’s ‘80s oeuvre, the original Kenner R2-D2 action figure earns screen time tucked among the models. (Credit: Paramount Pictures)

  • <p>Keeping true to his word, Abrams included the astromech in his <i>Trek</i> sequel, with Artoo being sucked into space as Khan blasts the <i>Enterprise</i>. Of course, Abrams’s latest film, <i>The Force Awakens</i>, will feature a much more conspicuous R2-D2. <i>(Credit: Paramount Pictures)</i></p>
    8/8

    ‘Star Trek: Into Darkness’ (2013)

    Keeping true to his word, Abrams included the astromech in his Trek sequel, with Artoo being sucked into space as Khan blasts the Enterprise. Of course, Abrams’s latest film, The Force Awakens, will feature a much more conspicuous R2-D2. (Credit: Paramount Pictures)

<p>George Lucas’s good buddy Steven Spielberg was the first to cast R2-D2 in a stealthy cameo. The droid was affixed to the bottom of the alien mothership, crafted by Lucas’s FX house, ILM. Today, visitors to the <a rel="nofollow noopener" href="http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?id=A19790906000" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center</a> can view the model and its intricate details, including the<a rel="nofollow noopener" href="http://www.oddthingsiveseen.com/2010/11/photo-essay-close-encounters-mothership.html" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:astromech and a TIE fighter;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link "> astromech and a TIE fighter</a>. <i>(Credit: Columbia Pictures)</i></p>
<p>The classic Lucas-Spielberg joint included hieroglyphics of R2-D2 and C-3PO in the Egyptian temple, visible as Han Solo — er. Indiana Jones — attempted to excavate the Ark of the Covenant. <i>(Credit: Paramount Pictures)</i></p>
<p>Richard Donner’s rollicking adventure flick (which was based on a story by Spielberg, who also produced) had a tribute to Artoo that didn’t make it on screen. The droid was hidden on the deck of the pirate ship that sets sail at the end; Warners later revealed the Easter egg in a closeup photo of the ILM model. <i>(Credit: Warner Bros.)</i></p>
<p>As noted <i>Star Wars</i> fan (and future <i>The Force Awakens </i>helmer) J.J. Abrams told Yahoo: “Artoo’s been in all of the movies I’ve done, really for no other reason than I’m a huge fan, and when I was a kid I realized that Artoo was also in <i>Close Encounters</i>.” In <i>M:I-3</i>, Abrams’s big-screen directorial debut, eagle-eyed fans can spot a half-buried Artoo as Tom Cruise and Keri Russell escape from a Berlin hideout. <i>(Credit: Paramount Pictures)</i></p>
<p>In Abrams’s next film, the <i>Star Wars</i>-tinged reboot of <i>Star Trek,</i> R2-D2 floats among space debris as the <i>Enterprise</i> confronts Nero’s warship following the destruction of Vulcan. <i>(Credit: Paramount Pictures)</i></p>
<p>A month after the <i>Trek</i> reboot hit theaters in 2009, the astromech found himself mixed up in the Autobot-Decepticon battle in the Michael Bay-directed, Spielberg-produced blockbuster. <i>(Credit: Paramount Pictures)</i></p>
<p>In <i>Super 8</i>, Abrams’s homage to Spielberg’s ‘80s oeuvre, the original Kenner R2-D2 action figure earns screen time tucked among the models. <i>(Credit: Paramount Pictures)</i><br></p>
<p>Keeping true to his word, Abrams included the astromech in his <i>Trek</i> sequel, with Artoo being sucked into space as Khan blasts the <i>Enterprise</i>. Of course, Abrams’s latest film, <i>The Force Awakens</i>, will feature a much more conspicuous R2-D2. <i>(Credit: Paramount Pictures)</i></p>
Marcus Errico
·Editor-in-Chief, Yahoo Entertainment

Sure, BB-8 is getting all the publicity ahead of the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but O.G. astromech R2-D2 has had an enduring cultural impact for nearly 40 years. The little droid has not only appeared in every canonical Star Wars movie and TV spinoff, but he also has racked up an impressive list of credits in some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters. Still, if you blinked, you might have missed his lesser-known cameos. So we broke out the Blu-rays and gave the slo-mo button a workout to bring you Artoo’s amazing travels.