Star Wars: Episode VII will likely begin production in early 2014.
Director JJ Abrams has revealed that he is moving his family to London at the end of this year to begin pre-production, meaning shooting could begin in January or February next year, reports Variety.
Speaking at the Produced By Conference in Los Angeles at the weekend, the Star Trek director said: “We are, most likely, if all goes as planned, going to be moving to London at the end of the year for the Star Wars movie.”
Abrams was coy with plot details and would not comment when pressed by Django Unchained producer Reginald Hudlin during the 75-minute Q&A at the Producers Guild Of America conference on Saturday (June 8). However, he said: “It [‘Star Wars’] is so massive and so important to people. I think the key to moving forward on something like this is honouring but not revering what came before.”
Lucasfilm – which is now owned by Disney – has slated Star Wars: Episode VII for release in 2015 and hired Toy Story 3 writer Michael Arndt to pen the script. Original cast members Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill have all hinted very strongly that they will be returning.