It’s official (as if the photo released by Bad Robot and director J.J. Abrams wasn’t enough). R2-D2 is officially confirmed for Star Wars Episode VII, according to Crave’s Collider website.
In fact, the two men in the photo who are not Abrams or LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy are R2-D2 robot builders and now members of the Star Wars creature effects team, Lee Towersey and Oliver Steeples.
Star Wars Episode VII is scheduled for release December 18, 2015.