One of the more persistent pieces of fandom lore surrounding Clash of the Titans is the claim that Bubo, the film's gaudily designed mechanical owl, was either inspired by or inspired George Lucas's R2‑D2. The resemblance is superficially striking — both are compact, mechanical, and serve as quirky non‑human sidekicks — and once Star Wars rewired audience expectations about on‑screen robots, any later mechanical companion invited comparison. Ray Harryhausen himself pushed back on the suggestion, asserting that Bubo was created before Star Wars was released and that the owl's presence grew from mythic needs (a guide and comic foil) rather than an attempt to mimic Lucas. The BBFC even noted at certification that Harryhausen’s effects might seem “old hat” to audiences familiar with Star Wars and Superman, underscoring how the shadow of Lucas and Spielberg loomed over effects artists of the period. Despite Harryhausen’s insistence and the chronological claims, the rumor has never been definitively settled in public documentation — the overlap of ideas, the recycling of prop templates, and the heightened post‑Star Wars sensitivity to robot design has kept the story alive as an entertaining and arguable Hollywood legend.
Preparing the daily feature…
AI concept artworkArchive Record · 1980s
The Bubo vs. R2‑D2 Rumor: Was Harryhausen’s Mechanical Owl an Inspiration for Star Wars’ Droid?
Bubo (mechanical owl) / Ray Harryhausen / 1980s
One of the more persistent pieces of fandom lore surrounding Clash of the Titans is the claim that Bubo, the film's gaudily designed mechanical owl, was either inspired by or inspired George Lucas's R2‑D2. The resemblance is superficially striking — both are compact, mechanical, and serve as quirky non‑human sidekicks — and once Star Wars rewired audience expectations about on‑screen robots, any later mechanical companion invited comparison. Ray Harryhausen himself pushed back on the suggestion, asserting that Bubo was created before Star Wars was released and that the owl's presence grew from mythic needs (a guide and comic foil) rather than an attempt to mimic Lucas. The BBFC even noted at certification that Harryhausen’s effects might seem “old hat” to audiences familiar with Star Wars and Superman, underscoring how the shadow of Lucas and Spielberg loomed over effects artists of the period. Despite Harryhausen’s insistence and the chronological claims, the rumor has never been definitively settled in public documentation — the overlap of ideas, the recycling of prop templates, and the heightened post‑Star Wars sensitivity to robot design has kept the story alive as an entertaining and arguable Hollywood legend.
The daily feature is taking an intermission. There’s still an entire archive to explore.