John Boyega (Finn) got to keep his character’s light-up blaster from the set of Star Wars: The Last Jedi courtesy of director Rian Johnson.
There are more perks to acting in a Star Wars movie than just playing with props and costumes on set. As a souvenir for his time spent on the set of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, John Boyega (Finn) got to keep his light-up blaster prop.
Boyega showed off the blaster in an Instagram post with the caption, “Proud owner of Finn’s blaster! Thanks to @riancjohnson!” The prop looks pretty sweet and even real; you can almost imagine that triggering it would loose a volley of powerful blue lasers. It’s also nice to know that Finn has his own personal weapon now and doesn’t have to keep borrowing one from another person (unlike his jacket).
Watch Boyega’s Instagram video below.
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Lucasfilm stepped it up when it came to props for the most recent Star Wars films. During the making of The Force Awakens, for example, Boyega, Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) and Daisy Ridley (Rey) all used light-up lightsaber props for their fight scenes. Now, for The Last Jedi, the blasters light up, as well.
The light function on these weapon props is helpful for two reasons. The first is that it helps actors immerse themselves even more into their roles. The second is it provides an on-set source of illumination for the camera. It probably aids in the editing process, too, because the folks at Industrial Light & Magic aren’t forced to create artificial illumination; they can just take what has already been shot and play with the effects.
We’ll see what Finn and his blaster can do when Star Wars: The Last Jedi premieres in theaters on December 15, 2017.