Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Edinburgh's links with the Galaxy Far Far Away

STAR Wars fans will be flocking to cinemas across the Capital to get a glimpse of the eighth chapter in the saga this weekend.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens in cinemas nationwide on Thursday. Picture: AP/Lucasfilm

Star Wars: The Last Jedi has opened at cinemas today - and is expected to be the biggest-selling movie of 2017.

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The film stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyego and Adam Driver returning to their roles from The Force Awakens.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi has been released today.

As the new chapter in the series hits the big screen, we take a look at Edinburgh’s links with the franchise.

The Gold Leader

The Capital’s biggest Star Wars link is that Angus MacInnes, who portrayed Gold Leader in the first Star Wars film, A New Hope, lives happily in Joppa - in the north of Edinburgh.

Angus MacInnes who starred in Starwars as a Goldleader

Angus, originally from Canada, played Jon ‘Dutch’ Vander, the leader of Gold Squadron, part of the rebel attack which successfully destroyed the Death Star in the franchise’s first outing.

Angus also founded Mamma’s restaurant in the Grassmarket with his wife, Kate. The restaurant celebrated 30 years with a Star Wars-themed birthday party. Pizzas included ‘Ham Solo’, ‘Cheese 3-PO’, ‘BBQ-D-2’, Boba Feta and Darth Veggie.

Royal Mile murderer

Andy Serkis (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

Andy Serkis, who plays the part of Supreme Leader Snoke in The Last Jedi, previously portrayed infamous Edinburgh murderer William Hare in the 2010 film Burke and Hare.

Kitchen fire

During the filming of The Force Awakens, the prequel to the new release, the set was forced to be evacuated after the cast were smoked out by celebrity chef, Tom Kitchin.

Tom, who has restaurants at The Shore in Leith and Stockbridge, was cooking for Steve Jones and Lisa Snowdon ahead of the live Weekend Kitchen television programme - when he filled a neighbouring studio with smoke.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi has been released today.

Familiar voice

Bathgate-born actor and former time lord David Tennant, provided the voice for a robot in two episodes of animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Comic artist

Edinburgh illustrator Tanya Roberts provided art work for The Clones Wars comics.

On stage performance

Ian McDiarmuid, who played the villan emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars blockbuster series, has played Enoch Powell in an Edinburgh theatre production. McDiarmuid starred in What Shadows at the Royal Lyceum in September.