While previous reports from Lucasfilm have indicated that shooting on the much-anticipated Star Wars: Episode VII was set to get underway next month, Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn has revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that filming has already begun, and that most of the cast is now in place.
“We have a lot of them [in place], we’re just not completely done yet,” said Horn, who then went on to touch upon the problems nailing down the script, which has seen Lawrence Kasdan and director J.J. Abrams taking over from Michael Arndt: “It’s all about the screenplay. It has to be screenplay, screenplay, screenplay. It actually is [where it needed to be] now. [It will pick up] where VI left off – and where VI left off is 35 years ago by the time this is released.”
Speaking of the cast, THR is also reporting that Peter Mayhew is set to reprise his role as Chewbacca alongside original stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher and new addition Adam Driver (Girls), who is reportedly set to play the villain. Of course, with principal photography just around the corner, it must surely only be a matter of time before we get some official casting news from Lucasfilm. Thank god.
Originally published April 7, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
