Eric was the first to tell us about the new update on Threepio on the Official Site. Here's a clip, and head over there for the full story and pics!

Though Daniels may remain tight-lipped when it comes to Episode II anecdotes, expect the name Don Bies to pop up from time to time. While it is Anthony Daniels who breathes life into bronze as Threepio, it's ILM model-maker Don Bies and his crew of droid wranglers that take care of all the technical details on the fussy droid.

Attack of the Clones will feature an important evolution in C-3PO's life. After ten years of waiting, C-3PO finally receives his coverings, thanks to the helpful hands of Padm? Amidala. As such, the movie features both the incomplete puppet form of Threepio from Episode I, and a new costume worn by Anthony Daniels.

"I was originally supposed to be the puppeteer for C-3PO on this film, and then Tony wanted to give it a shot," says Bies. "I'm so glad he did, because he did a much better job than I would have. I mean, he is the character, and knows the character so well."

The C-3PO puppet is a variation of Japanese puppetry called Bunraku, wherein a full-size puppet is connected to -- and stands in front of -- the puppeteer by a rig that mimics motions precisely. To prepare the 100-pound puppet for Daniels required a few modifications. "We borrowed a steady-cam harness from the camera crew, which distributes weight more evenly over the torso. We made our own version of that and put that on Tony," notes Bies.

You'll note that this confirms several earlier spy reports from last year, including this one on who covers 3PO from last January, and this one from March, way before anyone knew Anthony Daniels was dieting.