finished, kaput, and ended.
But then along came Disney. In October 2012 the studio brokered a $4.05 billion deal to buy Lucasfilm, and with the deal came the announcement that they would be starting production on a whole new trilogy of
Star Wars films that would keep the epic story going for years and years to come. Naturally, fanboys started to foam at the mouth with anticipation. What would the new movies be about? Would they bring back classic characters or merely focus on new ones? Would there be new stories set outside of the trilogy?
Thanks to all of these questions, we here at Cinema Blend have been sorting through all of the rumors trying to sort out exactly what we know about the upcoming
Star Wars Episode VII, and we’ve constructed a handy guide to help sort out all of the facts and fictions. Read on below for the latest info!
Start Date
On May 16, 2014, principal photography on
Star Wars: Episode VII began, making it the first live-action
Star Wars movie to go in front of cameras since
Revenge of the Sith. While it hasn't been officially stated what is being shot first or where, some strategically placed sand on the
production's first clapper board suggests that the cast and crew are kicking things off in the Abu Dhabi desert, where it's been rumored they have been building
a new Tatooine. Most of the production, however, will be taking place at England's Pinewood Studios.
The Timeline
It has
been confirmed that the
Star Wars: Episode VII storyline will take place 30 years after the Battle of Endor and the events portrayed in
Return of the Jedi. This makes complete sense, given that it’s been rumored that Abrams wants the plot of the film to revolve around
Luke, Leia and Han from George Lucas’ original trilogy. In order to do this
Episode VII, would need to factor in the age of the actual actors, and it appears that’s exactly what’s being done.
The Director
Though he initially
declined the job, J.J. Abrams is not only going to be the
director ofStar Wars: Episode VII, but also one of the co-writers. The filmmaker has had plenty of experience working in science-fiction, directing both the last two
Star Trek movies as well as the Spielberg-esque
Super 8, and has long said that he is a life-long
Star Warsfan. Will that experience and fanhood lead to a great sequel? We’ll just have to wait and find out.
The Screenplay
Oscar winning screenwriter Michael Arndt was one of the first people to be hired to work on
Star Wars: Episode VII, signing a deal to pen the script for the film only
about a week after the film was first announced. But not only is he now gone, it would appear that his script in the hands of Abrams and
Empire Strikes Back screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan has changed quite a bit. According
to reports, Arndt’s original
Star Wars: Episode VII screenplay largely followed the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo’s offspring, but since Abrams and Kasdan have taken over they have reportedly changed the focus of the story to be more on the original trilogy characters. Whether or not this story is accurate is unknown, but what has been confirmed is that the screenplay
is finished.
But what about the cast? Who's in it? The full cast has been officially announced. Read on to find out who the stars of the next
Star Wars are...
Luke Skywalker
Since
Star Wars Episode VII was announced, every fan has asked the same question: "Does this mean we’ll see the return of Luke Skywalker?" It has been confirmed that the answer is not only
yes, but that he will once again be played by Mark Hamill. Other than the fact that he is 30 years older, we really have no idea what Luke will be doing in the sequel, but Hamill has suggested that the character could end up being an influential character
like Obi-Wan Kenobi. Whether that’s what Abrams and Kasdan have planned is unknown at this time.
Princess Leia
You didn’t really think that the folks behind
Star Wars: Episode VII would be splitting up the twins again, did you? In the same announcement of Mark Hamill’s return, it is also confirmed that Carrie Fisher will be back as Princess Leia in J.J. Abrams’ sequel. Fisher has been laughing about the idea of wearing her classic cinnamon bun hairstyle again –
this time with white hair - but the ultimate truth is that we really have no idea what role she will be playing in the movie.
Hobson and Lucas have been together since 2006