In a surprising revelation, Disney Imagineer Lanny Smoot has hinted that the company may be planning to bring its realistic lightsaber replica to the market. The lightsaber, which features a glowing blade that automatically retracts into the handle, was first unveiled by Disney three years ago and has been the most convincing replica of the iconic Star Wars weapon to date.
The ‘real’ lightsaber could be seen, for a short time, on the now-defunct Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World.
Smoot’s Comments at D23 Expo
According to The Verge, at the recent D23 fan expo, Smoot was asked by a fan about the possibility of the lightsaber becoming a product that consumers could purchase. In response, Smoot said, “I think the company would like to do that. And I think Josh D’Amaro, our number two guy, our head of Disney Parks, said it at a public — I hope — meeting of toy vendors to say, hey, we’d like you to take what we have learned in terms of making a lightsaber, and translate that to something that would be maybe a little bit more accessible to the average person. So yeah, I think it’s going to come.”
However, in a later statement to The Verge, which actually came via a Disney spokesperson, he clarified, “I’m not aware of anything in the works but hope to see it come to fruition in the future.”
Smoot’s Impressive Inventions
Lanny Smoot’s Induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame
Smoot, who was recently inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, is the first Disney inventor to receive this honor since Walt Disney himself. Before his career at Disney, Smoot worked at Bell Labs, where he helped create fiber-optic and video conferencing technologies.
Notable Creations at Disney
During his time at Disney, Smoot has been responsible for creating or co-creating various technological wonders, including:
- The ball-shaped magnetic drive system that inspired BB-8 from Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- The impressive Holo Tile floor, which could be a precursor to Star Trek Holodeck-style technology
Other Retractable Lightsaber Toys
While Smoot’s original retractable lightsaber has only served as a prop, another retractable lightsaber toy, the Goliath Power Saber, has recently come to market. This toy was initially intended to be an official Star Wars lightsaber toy, but Star Wars toymaker Hasbro mysteriously abandoned the project partway through development. If Disney has indeed offered Smoot’s lightsaber designs to toymakers, it could potentially explain Hasbro’s puzzling decision to give up on the Goliath Power Saber.
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