Late last week, word broke out that Hollywood icon Harrison Ford broke his ankle on the set of the eagerly anticipated sci-fi sequel, Star Wars: Episode VII. Now we can confirm that the injury sustained will keep the legendary Han Solo actor out of action for the next eight weeks.
The incident has been the butt of many jokes since we caught wind of it – after all, it’s not every day you read headlines like ‘Millennium Falcon crushes Harrison Ford.’ Even the actor himself, who’s grown notoriously grumpy in recent years, poked fun at his misfortune in a photo that saw him hold a sign humorously labelled ‘can do the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs – can’t use a door.’
According to Collider, Ford reportedly has quite a substantial role in J.J. Abrams’ vision for the Star Wars Universe, so it seems something of a blow that his injury will keep him out of any meaningful work for over two months. What this means for the current production schedule we do not know, but Ford’s absence should be easy enough to manoeuvre around.
The film is currently slated for a December release in 2015 and boasts a cast that includes Star Wars legends Mark Hammill, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew and Anthony Daniels, as well as a host of new faces, including Inside Llewyn Davis’ Oscar Isaac, Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o and Attack the Block star John Boyega.
Shooting may not have got off to the best start, but may the force be with you J.J. Abrams, and a speedy recovery to Han Solo himself.
Tell us, are you excited for Star Wars: Episode VII? Will it blow the prequel trilogy into oblivion? Or is it doomed to follow the latest mishap into a Sarlacc pit of trouble? Let us know in the comments below!