Animal Planet Travels to a Whole New Galaxy With ANIMAL ICONS: STAR WARS CREATURES

Animal Planet Travels to a Whole New Galaxy With ANIMAL ICONS: STAR WARS CREATURES

- Film Star Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) Narrates the Hour-Long Special Featuring Footage of STAR WARS: EPISODE III Revenge of the Sith on Wednesday, May 18 at 9 PM -

SILVER SPRING, Md., May 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The Force is with Animal Planet! The premiere of its latest special, ANIMAL ICONS: STAR WARS CREATURES on Wednesday, May 18 from 9-10 PM, gives viewers a glimpse into stories behind the unique and quirky creatures that define these epic films. From Ewoks to Wookees to Boga, Star Wars movies have given us some of the world's most memorable fantasy creatures -- aliens so vivid, they almost seem real.

"We are thrilled to present viewers with the fascinating stories behind the creatures of Star Wars films," said Maureen Smith, general manager and executive vice president, Animal Planet. "ANIMAL ICONS: STAR WARS CREATURES is an imaginative and engaging example of the type of programming Animal Planet wants to do more of and that certainly appeals to every generation in the family."

Where did the idea for Jabba the Hutt originate? Did you know the character of Chewbacca was inspired by film creator George Lucas' family dog? ANIMAL ICONS: STAR WARS CREATURES unveils how these fantasy creatures got their origin from actual animals found on Earth. Airing the eve of the premiere of the sixth and final film STAR WARS: EPISODE III Revenge of the Sith, the special features interviews with the films' actors, animators and creature designers, including George Lucas and stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher. The program explores how Lucas transferred his breakthrough vision from script to the big screen and reveals the real-life origins of Lucas' Star Wars menagerie.

Star Wars fans will recognize the distinctive voice of narrator Anthony Daniels, who stars as C-3PO. The only actor to star in all six Star Wars films, Daniels journeys with viewers through the stories of the films' creatures as shown in wall-to-wall footage from previous films. Audiences are also treated to footage from the highly anticipated Revenge of the Sith.

ANIMAL ICONS: STAR WARS CREATURES is produced by Prometheus Entertainment in association with Fox Television Studios and Animal Planet. For Prometheus Entertainment, Kevin Burns is Executive Producer. For Animal Planet, Jamie Roberts is Executive Producer.

Animal Planet, available in more than 86 million homes nationwide, is the only television network dedicated exclusively to the connection between humans and animals. The network's original programming brings together people of all ages by tapping into a fundamental fascination with animals and providing an entertaining mix of programming, including original movies, adventure series, sports, drama and sitcoms. Discovery Networks, U.S., a unit of Discovery Communications, Inc., operates and manages Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, Discovery Health Channel, Discovery HD Theater, Discovery Kids Channel, Discovery Times Channel, The Science Channel, Discovery Home Channel, The Military Channel, Discovery en Espanol and FitTV. The unit also distributes BBC AMERICA.

Source: Animal Planet

CONTACT: Katie Crockett, +1-240-662-2707, Katie_Crockett@discovery.com, or Patricia Kollappallil, +1-240-662-2969, Patricia_Kollappallil@discovery.com, both of Animal Planet

Web site: http://www.discovery.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: To download photos from ANIMAL ICONS: STAR WARS CREATURES, go to www.press.discovery.com, click US networks; Animal Planet; Photography and Artwork.

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