'Star Wars: Episode VII' to shoot in London in May, with R2D2 aboard

By Steven Zeitchik

The new “Star Wars” will begin shooting in a time not long from now in a galaxy not really very far away.

The J.J. Abrams reboot of the classic space-opera franchise will begin production in London in May, Disney said Wednesday via the official "Star Wars" site. The events in the film will pick up — fittingly — 30 years after the last chronological film, “The Return of the Jedi,” which came out three decades ago.

"'Star Wars: Episode VII' is set about 30 years after the events of 'Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi', and will star a trio of new young leads along with some very familiar faces,” the company said in a statement.

ON LOCATION: Where the cameras roll

Indeed, the production has been looking for up-and-coming actors to take the mantle from Luke Skywalker and Han Solo even as the new film is believed to include those familiar faces — namely, Mark Hamill as Luke, Harrison Ford as Han and Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia. George Lucas has said that producers were in negotiations with all three some time ago.

A host of actors have read for a variety of the fresh-faced parts, with Adam Driver, Jesse Plemons, Lupita Nyong’o and Michael B. Jordan among the actors who have reportedly been considered by filmmakers.

Other tidbits gleaned recently include the return of R2D2, whom Disney chief Robert Iger (re)-confirmed in a call with analysts Tuesday will be returning to the series.

The movie is the first of a trilogy that Disney is planning since it acquired Lucasfilm; Abrams is directing from a script he and Lawrence Kasdan wrote and that Michael Arndt initially contributed to.

The terse statement Wednesday offers some clues but not a lot of new insight; it comes after a steady trickle of news (or at least rumor, scuttlebutt and speculation) moving the needle forward (or at least filling fans' Wiki pages.)

"Star Wars: Episode VII" will hit theaters Dec. 18, 2015.

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