Producers have announced the long awaited Star Wars Episode VII will begin filming at Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire in May. The film will be directed by JJ Abrams, who filmed the recent “Star Trek” and Star Trek Into The Darkness” in 2009 and 2013.
The film follows the trend of shooting in the UK as the original Star Wars trilogy was filmed at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, while 1997 blockbuster “The Phantom Menace” began filming at Leavesden Studios as well in Hertfordshire.
The film is set 30 years after the events of “Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi” and will star three new lead characters the press release reveals. Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford are all set to pick up their respective roles.
On Tuesday, Walt Disney Co Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger confirmed at the company’s annual shareholders meeting that robot character R2D2 will be included in the latest installment.
Back in October 2012, Walt Disney bought Lucasfilm for £2.44 billion and revealed it would produce three new films, starting with Star Wars Episode VII.
The Star Wars brand has made six films and has won 10 Academy Awards. The franchise has generated £2.68 billion in movie revenue alone. It is the fifth highest grossing film series of all time and has been re-released multiple times in theaters since the first film in 1977.
