With a 2015 release date pencilled into the calendar, all eyes are soon going to be turning to Star Wars Episode VII’s production. The film instantly became one of the most talked-about projects when it was announced that Disney were buying Lucasfilm last year, and launching a long-discussed new trilogy.
After a search, filled with rumours from the likes of Matthew Vaughn and Colin Trevorrow, J.J. Abrams officially took the job to direct the upcoming blockbuster back in January. And now Lucasfilm are announcing that Abrams and co. will be heading to our shores to shoot Star Wars Episode VII, following in the footsteps of the past six films.
All of its predecessors have been at least partly filmed here in the UK, shooting in the likes of Pinewood, Leavesden, Elstree, Shepperton, and Ealing Studios. And now Episode VII will be the latest in the franchise to do the same. It’s not yet been confirmed exactly where in the UK it will be filming, but it’s great to know that such a mammoth production will be returning to our shores.
Representatives from Lucasfilm met with George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, earlier in the year to establish an agreement to produce Star Wars Episode VII in the UK. And no doubt it’s one that will be of great benefit to all involved.
Said Kathleen Kennedy, President of the Lucasfilm,
“We’ve devoted serious time and attention to revisiting the origins of Star Wars as inspiration for our process on the new movie, and I’m thrilled that returning to the UK for production and utilizing the incredible talent there can be a part of that… Speaking from my own longstanding connection to the UK with films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Empire of the Sun and recently War Horse, it’s very exciting to be heading back.”
Abrams is set to direct from a script penned by Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire).
As of yet, there’s been no official word on who, if anyone at all, will be reprising their roles for the next instalment in the saga. It’s thought that the likes of Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher might all be coming back in some form or another, but that remains speculation at the moment.
Star Wars Episode VII is set to be released in cinemas in 2015. Here’s to hoping that the road to and through production will be a smooth one, and that we’ll have some more news, hopefully in the form of casting, to bring you soon.
May 10, 2013 Lucasfilm announced today that production of Star Wars: Episode VII will take place in the United Kingdom. All of the six previous live-action Star Wars movies have included UK production in such famed studios as Elstree, Shepperton, Leavesden, Ealing and Pinewood Studios.
“We’ve devoted serious time and attention to revisiting the origins of Star Wars as inspiration for our process on the new movie, and I’m thrilled that returning to the UK for production and utilizing the incredible talent there can be a part of that,” said Kathleen Kennedy, President of Lucasfilm. “Speaking from my own longstanding connection to the UK with films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Empire of the Sun and recently War Horse, it’s very exciting to be heading back.”
Earlier this year, representatives from Lucasfilm met with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, in London to establish an agreement to produce Star Wars in the U.K. “I am delighted that Star Wars is coming back to Britain. Today’s announcement that the next Star Wars film will be shot and produced in the UK is great news for fans and our creative industries,” Osborne said today.
Star Wars: Episode VII will be directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Michael Arndt and is scheduled for a 2015 release.
