Although no title has been released, Star Wars: Episode VIII has started filming. The first photos from the new sets have been released, and new characters are being added to the Star Wars universe. Currently, the film crew is in Dubrovnik, Croatia, shooting the latest scenes.
Den of Geek reported that many of the new photos seen online have been leaked from the new Star Wars set. Many of the new photos contain new aliens and creatures that will be featured in the film. One of the photos features cinematographer Steve Yedlin in what seems to be the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon. The photo was snapped by director Rian Johnson.
Rian Johnson shares Star Wars: Episode VIII Set Photo of Cinematographer Steve Yedlin https://t.co/8VbBMXAWIP pic.twitter.com/obOHEA6gzW
— Cultjer (@cultjer) March 12, 2016
In other Star Wars news, Billie Lourd, who portrayed Lieutenant Connix in Star Wars: The Force Awakens , confirmed that she will have a larger role in Episode VIII . Lourd is the daughter of actress Carrie Fisher and had a blink-of-the-eye role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens .
As previously reported by the Inquisitr , one of the hottest rumors for Star Wars: Episode VIII is that actor Hayden Christensen , who portrayed Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in the prequel trilogy, will return to reprise his role. Disney has yet to confirm the return, and fan reaction has been mixed. A source close to the film said that Christensen had been sent to England to train in order to reprise his role.
BGR reported that two new species of alien have been added to the Star Wars universe, and TMZ released some exclusive photos from the set. A new land speeder has also been added, and there have been many upgrades added to the pod racers.
The two new species in the movie are seen wearing tuxedos, and it looks like the characters in the photos are attending a formal event. No word has been given as to the context of the photos or the event that the characters are attending. Two human women are also seen in evening wear. The new photos give little indication of the plot, although the new photos indicate that the pace of the movie will slow down compared to Star Wars: The Force Awakens , which contained almost non-stop action scenes.
#DollarStore masks & #tuxedos from @menswearhouse is all it took for #FSW to sneak onto set #StarWars #EpisodeVIII pic.twitter.com/LLJw9thB0X
— Willybobo (@fakingstarwars) March 14, 2016
Mashable reported that the documentary for Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be released on April 5 with the Blu-ray edition of the movie. The documentary expertly blends footage from the movie with interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. It was created in chapters that deal with the script and casting as well as the first big shoot, creatures in the movie, and the motion capture. More information is also given on Han Solo’s death scene.
A screening of the documentary was given to a group of 1,200 people, and director J.J. Abrams surprised the audience by introducing the documentary. He thanked the crew and fans for the success of Star Wars: The Force Awakens . So far, the movie has grossed over $2 billion, making it one of the top-grossing movies in history and the top-grossing Star Wars movie of all time.
There were several interesting tidbits from the documentary, including Daisy Ridley’s audition for the movie. While she killed it in the auditions, making her a shoo-in, John Boyega auditioned for his role nine times. Originally, the character Poe Dameron was supposed to die in the film.
Star Wars: Episode VIII is set to release on December 15, 2017. So far, no details of the actual plot have been released.
[Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]