Star Wars: Episode VII has already begun filming, and the majority of the cast is in place, Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn revealed to The Hollywood Reporter. He went on to confirm that most of the main roles have been filled and the studio is withholding that news for now, but casting is “not completely done yet.”
Horn went on to discuss early issues with the script, which was originally meant to be handled by Toy Story scribe Michael Arndt. Following Arndt’s departure, director J.J. Abrams and Empire Strikes Back writer Lawrence Kasdan took over, essentially starting from scratch. Abrams recently announced that he had completed work on the script.
“It’s all about the screenplay,” Horn said. “It has to be screenplay, screenplay, screenplay.” When asked if the screenplay was where it needs to be, he claimed, “It is now.”
He went on to say that the story will pick up where Episode VI: Return of the Jedi left off, factoring in the time between films “where 6 left off — and where 6 left off is 35 years ago by the time this is released.” This fits with earlier reports we’ve heard about when the film takes place. Star Wars: Episode VII is scheduled to hit theaters on December 18, 2015.
