The next Star Wars film will pick up fractionally less long, long ago in a galaxy far far away. Chairman and chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company Bob Iger told gathered shareholders that the film - still only known as Star Wars VII - will be set thirty years after the events of the original trilogy (specifically Return of the Jedi) and will begin shooting in London in May under director J J Abrams. At this point the only other information we know is that the release date of December 18, 2015 has been selected, so there's already a reasonably tight timeframe for such a big project.
Lots of names, old and new, have been discussed in relation to casting. There are solid rumours that Harrison Ford, Mark Hammil and Carrie Fisher may reprise their roles as Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia respectively, though they all seem to be bound by non-disclosure agreements and have remained quite vague about any exact confirmation. We WILL see R2D2 in the film, though it's not clear if Kenny Baker and Anthony Daniels/C3PO will be involved.
Other names mentioned in recent weeks include the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Star Trek), Adam Driver (Girls) and recent Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o (who appeared with Cumberbatch in 12 Years a Slave). It is likely that with filming commencing so soon that more specific announcements are imminent.
Iger also mentioned during the meeting that there are confirmed plans for a sequel to Pixar'sThe Incredibles. The original 2004 film is considered to be one of Pixar's most beloved modren animations, telling the story of a superhero family forced back into their costumes to save the day. Plans are confirmed for the sequel, but no release date or story information is available as yet...
Also on the starting block may be a second sequel to Disney's Cars.
