More details emerge regarding Harrison Ford’s injury on Star Wars set

By Rick Marshall June 22, 2014

Han Solo — Image used with permission by copyright holder

It may be a little while before Han Solo is back in the pilot seat of the Millennium Falcon again.

While it was initially reported that Harrison Ford broke his ankle while filming the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII, BBC has confirmed with Ford’s publicist that the 71-year-old actor broke his left leg when a door fell on him inside the Millennium Falcon set at the famous Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire. The incident occurred June 12, and Ford was airlifted to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

“His surgery was successful and he will begin rehab shortly,” the publicist told BBC. “He’s doing well and looks forward to returning to work.”

Ford’s injury isn’t expected to affect the release date for the film, though reports suggest that he’ll miss up to eight weeks of production while recovering from the injury.

Shooting continues on the highly anticipated film, which has been the subject of numerous leaked photos from shooting locations in Pinewood Studios and Abu Dhabi. Prior to Ford’s injury, director J.J. Abrams confirmed the presence of the Millennium Falcon in the film after leaked images from the set unofficially hinted at the famous spaceship’s return.

Star Wars: Episode VII is scheduled to hit theaters December 18, 2015.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…

Entertainment

Han Solo is the best sci-fi character ever. Here’s why

star wars episode viis scruffy looking nerf herder revealed harrison ford han solo

Even though he is in no way the main character, Han Solo may be the most important character in Star Wars canon. It's precisely his regularness and his swagger that make him so compelling. As one of the most important characters in Star Wars, you can also make a pretty credible case that Han is the most important character in science fiction as a whole.

Few have had a more major influence on what science fiction has become, and even fewer are as pretty to look at as Harrison Ford. Here are five reasons Han Solo is the best sci-fi character ever:
1. He has a great partner

Entertainment

Want to enjoy the Star Wars TV shows more? Watch the cartoons, already!

Ahsoka Tano prepares for battle in an episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars

I’m pretty nerdy about a lot of things: turntables, vinyl records, barbecue, Game of Thrones, and yes, Star Wars. To a fault, I can be hard to shut up once my string is pulled, and lately, much of my blathering has been focused around a couple of Star Wars TV series -- The Mandalorian and the upcoming Ahsoka, the latter of which I am super-excited for. But I’ve had a few conversations about these shows with friends recently that have been driving me nuts. The latest involved me gushing over a live-action cameo of the animated Star Wars: Rebels series character Zeb Orrelios in season 3, episode 5 of The Mandalorian. My friend exclaimed that he had no idea who Zeb was and that he'd never watched "that cartoon," and here we are.
But a couple of notes before I continue: First, I know that Star Wars: Rebels and its precursor, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, are “cartoons.” Second, I’m aware that I’m a grown man. The point is, I’m often amazed to learn that, for those and other reasons, many people have avoided these excellent animated Star Wars series -- and this is a mistake. Much of what happens in The Clone Wars and Rebels has direct ties to shows such as The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, and especially Ahsoka, as they introduce incredible characters and crucial backstories. Do you need to watch them to know what's going on? No. You don't even need to watch every episode to get a better understanding of the live-action shows: We have great essential episode guides for Clone Wars and Rebels to set you up. But time and again I’ve been rewarded with excitement, a better understanding of characters and plotlines, and a more satisfying cathartic payoff because of watching these "cartoons." Plus, they’re just really good.
And whether you’ve just started watching The Mandalorian or are, like me, waiting eagerly for Ahsoka in August, here are a few good reasons you should take the next few months and get caught up on some of the best cartoons you’ll ever see.
Note: There are Mandalorian spoilers ahead.
Ahsoka Tano gets her due

Making her live-action debut in season 2 of The Mandalorian, Ahsoka Tano began her journey as Anakin Skywalker's tenacious young Padawan, and her adventures throughout seven seasons of the animated Clone Wars made her one of the most exciting and loved Jedi characters in the Star Wars universe. Not only does she endure betrayal through Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader, but her arc connects her to the warrior Mandalorians when she helps Bo-Katan Kryze liberate the planet Mandalore from occupation. The series concludes when Darth Sidious issues Order 66, which triggered the betrayal and extermination of the Jedi, aligning the show with the film Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith.

Entertainment

7 things we wished Disney did differently with the Star Wars sequel trilogy

Fortnite Star Wars Scene

The Star Wars sequel trilogy was a divisive return to the galaxy far, far away. While it held so much promise with the success of The Force Awakens, subsequent films became the target of hate and ridicule from fans and critics to the point that everyone's hopes for the franchise seemed to have been dashed (at least until The Mandalorian came around).

The sad truth is that this trilogy was never going to live up to everyone's expectations, especially not with the astronomically high pedestal they had all placed the franchise on. Despite this, Disney could've done certain things differently that would've made it a more worthy follow-up to the original Star Wars movies.
7. Spacing out the films more