Most of the Star Wars Tatooine Sets are Still Standing and Full of People

Recently this YouTube clip about some British guys going to Tunisia to fix up Luke Skywalker’s house made the Internet rounds, which raised the question — what the heck was Luke Skywalker’s house doing still standing? Didn’t they take down all the Star Wars sets they built in Tunisia after they were done filming? The answer is no. Basically all the Tatooine sets were just built out in the middle of the desert, so hey, what the f–k, once they were done filming they just left them.
Not only are most of the sets still standing, but people have moved into many of them. The set for Mos Espa, Anakin Skywalker’s hometown from Episode I now has several residents, and the “underground” portion of Luke Skywalker’s house from Episode IV is now a hotel.
Hit the jump to check out a couple videos of a guy wandering these now-inhabited Star Wars sets…

via Rocket News 24 here and here
 
I love that this Star Wars set is now home to a guy who owns a weird little furry creature straight out of one of the movies. Also, an eagle in a mini-fridge sized box. Perfect.
 
I bet Luke would have been a lot less whiny about wanting to leave Tatooine if he had had his own Nestle Drumstick freezer.
Hit the last page for a few more interesting pictures from the Tunisian Star Wars sets…

Everything on Tatooine is made of a special futuristic material known as “wood”.

Not only did this donkey have his scene where he kicks Qui-Gon in the balls cut, but they just left the poor bastard on set.

Rumor has it this is where Episode I was conceived, written and directed.

Nothing brightens up a moisture farm like a nice layer of white and yellow.

Space cat!