I know that we’re all very excited for Star Wars: Episode VII to come to the big screen, but thus far official information on the production has been very thin on the ground. Depending on little more than rumors about what characters will appear and what form the franchise will take, we have all been waiting for something – anything! – that we can solidly depend on. That day may not quite be here, but we do have reports that Star Wars: Episode VII might actually start filming before long.
The news comes from Badass Digest (via Collider) with the claim that J.J. Abrams and Co. will kick off Star Wars: Episode VII with two weeks of location work in Morocco, beginning May 14th of this year. The location is important, as Morocco was the site of the original Tatooine sets, which are still standing (in a state of dilapidation). It has been suggested that Abrams will use the original sets, though how that will be integrated into the narrative has yet to be seen.
If Abrams is going to start shooting in Morocco, we can also expect the production to move to Tunisia, where most of the Tatooine landscape was shot. Further reports have claimed that Iceland will also host the production, though what planet or location it’s standing in for has not been made clear. There are suggestions of Hoth, though we do need to remember that the Hoth scenes in Empire Strikes Back were originally filmed on location in Norway.
Let’s face it, we’re grasping at straws for any news of Star Wars: Episode VII. While we can at least say that the movie is going to happen, and that it will take place thirty years after Return of the Jedi, that’s pretty much all we can officially claim. If reports are true and Abrams is indeed prepared to begin filming in May, then maybe we can expect some more solid information before long. I wouldn’t hold my breath, though.
