The award-winning Sandcrawler building officially opened on January 16 in a ceremony with Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, President of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy, and filmmaking legend George Lucas. The state-of-the-art building will be the regional headquarters for Lucasfilm Singapore, The Walt Disney Company (Southeast Asia) and ESPN Asia Pacific. With this world-class facility and the incredible talent housed within its gleaming glass walls, Lucasfilm Singapore will continue the groundbreaking animation and visual effects work that it is known for, including supporting the upcoming Star Wars movies.

From L-R: David Anderman, General Manager, Lucasfilm; Melody Hobson; George Lucas; Singapore Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong; Kathleen Kennedy, President of Lucasfilm; Leo Yip, Chairman of the EDB, Singapore; Robert Gilbert, Managing Director, The Walt Disney Company, Southeast Asia. © 2014 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

“The opening of the Sandcrawler building signifies Lucasfilm’s ongoing commitment to Singapore,” says Kathleen Kennedy, President of Lucasfilm. “When we first opened our Singapore studio in 2005, the local digital production landscape looked very different. It was relatively small, with a limited talent pool and virtually no visual effects work being done. Through the efforts of the Economic Development Board, the industry has grown rapidly, and Lucasfilm has done its part in helping that effort. By investing in local talent we’ve been able to significantly grow our Singapore studio into a world-class digital production facility. As a part of The Walt Disney Company, we are happy to bring our business segments together under one roof with The Walt Disney Company (Southeast Asia) and ESPN Asia Pacific also occupying space in the Sandcrawler, furthering our commitment to Singapore and the region.”

Located in the Fusionopolis district of Singapore, the Sandcrawler takes its name from a large vehicle featured in the original Star Wars film. The structure continues George Lucas’ tradition of providing signature creative and beautiful workspaces for employees of Lucasfilm, which was acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 2012.

“This building signifies the possibilities we saw and realised when we initially launched the Singapore unit,” George Lucas says. “It’s the culmination of many years of hard work and dedication, and I’m proud to be here for the opening. The building is everything I hoped it would be and I look forward to the day that I can sit in a theatre and see all of the amazing work that comes from the artists that work here.”

The event was marked by the unveiling of a bronze statue of the Star Wars character Yoda, which will have its permanent installation in the idyllic stream in the interior public courtyard of the building. The statue of the legendary Jedi Master links this new structure with the other innovative buildings George Lucas has built in Northern California, and serves as a landmark.

Joining the Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas in the midday ceremony were Leo Yip, Chairman of the Singapore Economic Development Board, and Robert Gilby, Managing Director, The Walt Disney Company, Southeast Asia.