It's official—Disney has confirmed that "Star Wars: Episode VII" is already filming and the majority of the roles have been cast.
During a conversation with Disney chairman Alan Horn, Horn admitted that film is already filmingn and has the majority of its cast. "We have a lot of them [in place]. We're just not completely done yet," Horn told The Hollywood Reporter.
As for the screenplay, which was written by Lawrence Kasdan ("Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi") and J.J Abrams, Horn stated, "It's all about the screenplay. It has to be screenplay, screenplay, screenplay." When asked if the screenplay was ready, he stated, "It actually is now."
The film will be part of a three film trilogy that will continue where "Episode VI: Return of the Jedi" left off. Horn stated the film would be "where 6 left off—and where 6 left off is 35 years ago by the time this is released."
The news is no surprise because Disney has kept the movie under wraps, just like the first six films were during their respective productions. Throughout the past year, Disney has not given details on the movie or the script and has delayed announcements of the film.
A number of rumors regarding casting have been spread throughout the past weeks. Variety reported that Adam Driver had been cast as a villain similar to Darth Vadar. However, the news has yet to be confirmed by the studio. Variety also revealed a short-list of actors who could potentially play the lead role in the film, which included Ed Speleers, John Boyega, Jesse Plemons, Matthew James Thomas, and Ray Fisher. "Transformers" star Jack Reynor and Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o were also rumored for roles in the film. However, like the Driver rumor, the studio never confirmed the castings.
The film is also rumored to star Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill. This seems more probable, especially with Horn's confirmation that the film will take place a few years after the sixth film. Additionally, Fisher gave a number of hints last year regarding the participation in the film and it was even reported that all three actors had obtained private trainers to get them in shape for movie.
Other casting rumors include Billy de Williams as Lando Calrissian and Anthony Daniels as C3PO.
The movie is rumored to feature a number of landscapes from the original movies, including Tattooine, and will be shot in the U.K.
"Star Wars: Episode VII" will be directed by Abrams who is best known for his work on "Star Trek," "300" and "Mission Impossible 3." The film will be produced Kathleen Kennedy ("Lincoln," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,") and will also have John Williams return as the composer for the score, while frequent Abrams collaborator Dan Mindel will serve as Director of Photography. Michael Kaplan will serve as the costume designer for the film.
"Star Wars: Episode VII" is set for release on Dec. 18, 2015.