Star Wars 7 Hype Builds Up With Leaked Pics! New Cast Members Join The Fold Of A Star-Studded Ensemble!
This week is thick with Star Wars 7 leaks; new cast confirmations, sneak peeks, and behind the scenes.
Lucasfilm and Bad Robot Productions have yet to confirm the leaked photos, but insider sources claim these as legit. Star Wars fans have fodder for forums for weeks to come.
First-day filming was previously confirmed with John Boyega's Twitter photo. Filming in an Abu Dhabi location was scheduled for two weeks, starting May 16.
Photos of ongoing production in the same location are circulating the Web, with plenty of reveals. A reconstruction of Han Solo's famous spaceship, the Millenium Falcon, is also taking shape in an undisclosed UK studio. Sources claim the set is also home to a variety of props, creatures, and pieces under construction.
Star Wars 7 is also going back to the roots of the franchise. Leaked photos from the Abu Dhabi production reveal an insider's look into the secretive set.
One of the highlights involved a massive desert creature which looks like a cross between a warthog and a rhino. The alien creature is a puppet controlled by five men from within, and used in at least two scenes, in backdrops which resemble the Tatooine landscape.
Star Wars 7 is laying low on CG effects, going back to old-school tricks like animatronics.
New cast members are joining the fold of the new Star Wars ensemble. Fans claimed the previous roster lacked the female presence the new installment needs; newcomers Lupita Nyong'o and Gwendoline Christie have been confirmed for roles yet undisclosed.
Nyong'o's Oscar Award-winning performance for "12 Years a Slave" attracted the attention of Lucasfilm execs, as well as Christie's role as Lady Brienne in TV's "Game of Thrones."
Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm president: "I could not be more excited about Lupita and Gwendoline joining the cast of Episode VII. It's thrilling to see this extraordinarily talented ensemble taking shape" (toofab.com).
Star Wars 7 hits theaters December 18, 2015.
