The Star Wars machine is up and running, and will extend beyond J.J. Abrams’ planned Star Wars: Episode VII for many years to come. That much is clear, as Walt Disney and LucasFilm have been busy tapping directors like Gareth Edwards and Josh Trank for standalone Star Wars adventures. Now, we are finding out WHERE these creative voices will be constructing their galaxy far, far away.
George Osborne is the Chancellor of the Exchequer & MP for Tatton. Last night, he was on the set of J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VII with the director and LucasFilm President Kathleen Kennedy to announce that the next Star Wars film also will shoot in the UK… without revealing what that movie would be. The above Tweet uses a little R2 to share the news. Adorable.
Obviously this is part of a long-in-development partnership between the UK film office and Disney/LucasFilm, who have worked to develop studio space recently and are luring special effects wizards to a new crafthouse in downtown London.
What does this mean? The movie in question likely will be the standalone Star Wars movie that Gareth Edwards is expected to have in theaters by 2016. But it also means that Pinewood Studios – where J.J. Abrams is hard at work on Star Wars: Episode VII -- will become the unofficial production home of the developing Star Wars universe. There are locations in and around Africa and the Middle East that can help filmmakers replicate alien territories. After that, the effects wizards being hired in house at Pinewood can recreate anything that Abrams, Edwards or Josh Trank might need.
This was the news clip when George Osborn landed Star Wars: Episode VII in the first place. It was the seed that has been planted, and now begins to grow.
The production cycle rolls on. The first Star Wars film will be in theaters December 2015.
