Spoilerphobes beware: Possible details on Episode VII sets at Pinewood. These are via the IMDB boards, so not exactly to most solid of original sources, but there are a few things that line up with stuff we’ve actually seen evidence of.
A look at an Episode VII set at Pinewood?
A look at an Episode VII set at Pinewood? Fair warning: this is an ‘exclusive’ from the fairly sketchy Star Wars 7 News, but it is a photo of some familiar objects apparently built at the Pinewood lot. So much for that – they’ve deleted the post.
Singing twins in Episode VII?
Singing twins in Episode VII? Jedi News has seemingly found some evidence that actress Thea Shengelaya and her sister Liana have spent a few days filming on Epiosde VII. The two sing together as the Healer Twins.
Report: Legal woes over extras casting may tangle some Episode VII production
Report: Legal woes over extras casting contracts may tangle some Episode VII production, per the Daily Mail. Or, y’know, there’s always ILM, Lucasfilm/Bad Robot staffers and green screen for those “big crowd scenes.” (via)
Rumor: TWO more young women to be cast for Episode VII?
Buried under some ‘Han Solo is going to die’ blah blah blah, Latino Review claims that additional Episode VII roles may go not only go to the previously-rumored Maisie Richardson-Sellers, but also to another young British actress, Katie Jarvis. Two more women is one more than we were expecting, so that’s hopeful.
They also say Adam Driver is definitely not Solo offspring and that John Boyega and stormtrooper armor are headed for Abu Dhabi. Or maybe Orlando.
Rumor: Episode VII starts filming in Abu Dhabi Friday?
Gulf News claims that filming for Episode VII will begin in Abu Dhabi tomorrow (on a Friday?) and last for two weeks. That’s contrary to previous reports that they would begin Tuesday… But The National claimed a three-week shoot, which does seem a very short period to deal with the many set pieces they say have been built.
Oscar Issac said later this month, and it seems that Carrie Fisher was still in Los Angeles as of Wednesday night. I sure hope Lucasfilm will let us know when first unit shooting has actually begun…
Rumor: Subjects of the first three spinoff films?
StarWars-Union.de got some tips on what may be the first three spin-off films. Apparently this chart was shown at a Hasbro retail training course:
Fall 2014: Rebels
2015: Episode VII
2016: Boba Fett
2017: Episode VIII
2018: Solo
2019: Episode IX
2020: Red Five
Boba Fett seems fairly clear-cut (or not,) but both Solo and Red Five leave plenty of room for interpretation. There have been rumors of a Han Solo film from nearly the first, but this doesn’t necessarily have to be a Han Solo film, although that’s probably our best guess right now. (Unless they really do plan to introduce Thracken – that’s a joke tweet, BTW.) And Red Five? The placement means that it could feature a character introduced in the sequels – the inheritor of Luke’s old call sign? I doubt they’d do a Luke film in the gap between A New Hope and Empire, but that’s a possibility as well. And what does Kathleen Kennedy’s claim that the standalone characters won’t be going “in and out of the saga episodes” mean to any of this?
In any case, thanks to StarWars-Union.de’s Christoph Wolf for the heads up and translation!
Rumor: Mara Jade in Luceno’s Tarkin? (I doubt it.)
A novel rumor? How very… Well, it’s been a while. With Del Rey teasing James Luceno’s Tarkin today, up sprang a good amount of speculation that his EU mistress Natasi Daala may make an appearance… And a rumor that we could see Mara Jade in this book as well.
The Daala part is pure speculation, but I can see her as a firm maybe. It would be nice to see the character redefined to be less of a grab-bag of lame sleeping-her-way-to-the-top stereotypes – there’s really only room for improvement, and it’s not like they can make her president in this time period. Despite how many books they kept bringing her back for in the old EU, she’s not really what I would consider to be a significant character, which gives them that much more leeway. (Whether Luceno is the one to make those improvements… Well, it could be worse, I guess.)
But Mara Jade, as Luke Skywalker’s wife and a character with a still-significant fanbase all her own, is perhaps the most-high profile EU character who could (possibly) connect to the sequel trilogy, and an appearance in the new canon at this early point will rocket expectations sky high. (Do we really need more of that? Aren’t expectations for Episode VII high enough already?) My first instinct – that they’d put Mara in to kill her off earlier in the timeline – would just be cruel to fans that are still (occasionally) somewhat bitter over Legacy of the Force. Better no Mara than to kill her off all over again.
Now, some seem to think Mara could be the ‘new ally’ in Heir to the Jedi, and while I don’t think that’s the case either, it’s at least a book that a fair share of Mara fans may pick up – which I’m not quite sure is the case for Tarkin.
And, of course, any hints leading to Mara (and even Daala) could equally apply to Shira Brie. You can’t say the early EU didn’t have a type.
Obviously I’m not really putting much stock in this rumor, but if this was a ploy to make me at least skim the ARC when it comes in – well done.
Rumor: Adam Driver playing a Solo?
Rumor: Adam Driver playing a Solo? Honestly, I’ve heard this speculated so much since Driver’s name first came up (and particularly from EU fans unwilling to let go of Jacen and Jaina) that it’s pretty hard to take seriously, even as a ‘rumor.’
Rumor: Extensive Episode VII set pieces going up in Abu Dhabi; film starts shooting Tuesday
After giving us what may be our first look at an Episode VII set (and, maybe, an AT-AT foot,) Abu Dhabi’s The National is back with a further report on what’s apparently going on in the desert, as shooting is expected to begin on Tuesday, May 13:
Our sources also report that the sets are getting closer to completion, with a “whole world” having been built on an otherworldly salt lake at one location, a “shuttle-like” spacecraft, a large tower, a “big, centuries-old-looking market”, something the crew are reportedly referring to as the “alien house” and 10 to 15 “really fast buggies” powered by jet engines (landspeeders of Tatooine fame from the previous films, perhaps?)
All that, plus explosives, some members of the cast, and lots of security. Seems pretty extensive to be just one planet… (via) A site called 7 Days in Dubai has more details supporting that a crashed spaceship of some sort is involved. (via)