Madame Tussauds London today announced a new multi-million pound Star Wars experience in collaboration with Disney and Lucasfilm, and revealed the first wax figure from one of 11 immersive walk-in sets to be featured.

The recently completed, amazingly realistic wax figure of Jedi Master Yoda was brought to a studio in London for designers to plan the final set, which brings to life the hostile swamps of Dagobah as featured in “Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back”.

Yoda's swamp will feature mossy tree trunks, twisted roots and branches, decaying foliage and swirling fog to perfectly recreate his Dagobah habitat. The scene is one of 11 that will recreate iconic moments from Star Wars Episodes I-VI that feature 16 favourite heroes and villains, including Yoda on Dagobah, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader on the Death Star and Princess Leia in Jabba's Throne Room, among others.

Although only 66cm tall, Yoda's figure took a team of 10 artists four months to finish and was recreated using detailed measurements and reference pictures from one of the original models used in the films. His distinctive green skin tone has been achieved with layers of carefully applied oil paint and his wispy grey hairs have been inserted individually by hand.  

Work is now underway to bring the rest of the experience to life for a mid-May opening when fans will be able to co-star in some of the most famous scenes in film. Fans can sign up at www.madametussauds.com/london to be the first to know when tickets go on sale and to find all the latest news and updates.

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For further information please contact Amy Sadler, Amy Williams or Claudia Parker at freerange communications – amys@freerange.eu, 0207 402 9966

Notes to Editors

Madame Tussauds London and Merlin Entertainments plc

• Prices to Madame Tussauds London start from £22 (May 2015 onwards) when you pre-book at www.madametussauds.com/london
• Madame Tussauds London is located next to Baker Street tube station and open seven days a week – opening times vary, check the website for details before visiting, www.madametussauds.com/london 
• Madame Tussauds Studios London has been making wax figures for over 150 years. Each masterpiece takes four months, and a team of 20 dedicated sculptors, to create. Over 500 precise body measurements are referenced, real head hairs are inserted one by one, and countless layers of paints and tints are applied to build up skin tones - all to achieve the kind of astonishing realism that has kept Madame Tussauds world renowned for over two centuries.
• Madame Tussauds has attractions in London, Hollywood,  Las Vegas, New York, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna, Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai,  Singapore, Wuhan, Blackpool UK and Sydney, with interactive figures and experiences built around fame and celebrity.  In London, guests can get up close and personal with incredibly lifelike replicas of 21st century stars like Johnny Depp and Amy Winehouse, brave the scariest Chamber Of Horrors yet, complete with actors as bloodthirsty serial killers and take a time-travelling taxi ride through 400 years of amazing London history.
• MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS plc is the leading name in location-based, family entertainment. Europe's Number 1 and the world's second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates 105 attractions, 11 hotels/3 holiday villages in 23 countries and across 4 continents. The company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its almost 60 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and c25,000 employees. 
• Among Merlin's attractions are - SEA LIFE, Madame Tussauds, LEGOLAND, The London Eye, Dungeons, Gardaland, LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, Alton Towers Resort, Warwick Castle, THORPE PARK Resort, Blackpool Tower, Heide Park Resort, WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, Sydney Tower Eye and SKYWALK.  All brands which are distinctive, challenging and innovative – and which have great potential for growth in the future. Visit www.merlinentertainments.biz for more information.