‘Star Wars’ Episode VII nearly done with production, ILM in UK ready for effects
President Kathleen Kennedy offered a brief update on the production of the new Star Wars, just titled Star Wars: Episode VII for now.
According to the company head, there’s only three more weeks left of shooting and from there, the new ILM location will begin working on visual and special effects for the film, which will happen in the UK.
Via The Guardian, Kennedy noted that Lucasfilm is “within three weeks of finishing filming on Star Wars: Episode VII.” She also added that “This continues a long tradition of Star Wars movies being made in London. It goes back to 1976, and to know that we are now coming back and we will be making the movies once again based out of Pinewood and now we’re looking to put together ILM London, it’s rather remarkable that this has come together in less than two years.”
As reported by Digital Spy, ILM wanted to open up in the UK for some time, but there was no guaranteed financial stability. The new Star Wars films, however, changed that. Here’s what ILM President and General Manager Lynwen Brennan had to say about the big business coming their way: “At least six Star Wars films are on the way that means we can plan our technical advancements and production capacity needed over a ten-year period.”
Star Wars: Episode VII is due in theaters on December 18, 2015
Original trilogy stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher return with Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Kenny Baker (R2-D2) and Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) all return, joined by Adam Driver (Girls), Isaac, Andy Serkis (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), Domhnall Gleeson (About Time,Dredd), John Boyega (Attack the Block), Daisy Ridley (Silent Witness), Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones), Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave), Miltos Yerolemou (Game of Thrones), Max von Sydow (The Exorcist), Christina Chong (24: Live Another Day) and newcomers Crystal Clarke and Pip Andersen.
