http://starwars.com/news/star-wars-episode-vii-to-open-december-18-2015.html)

With pre-production in full-swing, a confirmed release date of December 18, 2015, has been set for Lucasfilm's highly anticipated Star Wars: Episode VII.

"We're very excited to share the official 2015 release date for Star Wars: Episode VII, where it will not only anchor the popular holiday filmgoing season but also ensure our extraordinary filmmaking team has the time needed to deliver a sensational picture," said Alan Horn, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios.

Star Wars: Episode VII will be directed by J.J. Abrams (Super 8, Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek) and is being scripted by Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan (Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi). Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, with Tommy Harper (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Jack Ryan, Star Trek Into Darkness) and Jason McGatlin (Tintin, War of the Worlds) serving as executive producers. John Williams is returning to score Star Wars: Episode VII.

Shooting is scheduled to begin spring 2014 at Pinewood Studios.

Breaking the May tradition, it seems

Being the superstitious purist that Star Wars has made me, breaking the May tradition just doesn't jive.

Though at the same time, I'll still see it and probably fawn over it for at least a small while before I give in and buy Star Wars on blu-ray.

So many mixed feelings.

After seeing the new Thor movie, a guy was sharing his disappointment with the "delay" in the new movie. I just couldn't get excited one way or the other.

I've just gotten burned out on new star wars stuff. I could see myself casually seeing this movie after it had been out a few weeks on a lark with some friends just as something to do.

I don't expect a big "event" like with the special editions or the prequels. I darn sure wouldn't wait in line for any of these new movies (I didn't for any of the previous ones, but then again we had some good friends holding the front of the line for us at Star Wars in '97 which was cool).

http://i.imgur.com/lkdUWN7.jpg)
https://twitter.com/bad_robot/status/401077191087095808/photo/1)
Hi from the workshop! #StarWarsVII pic.twitter.com/9R7JGSfxlC

I don't think Disney has to worry about "safe" dates for Episode VII. Star Wars will crush whenever its released.

I don't think Disney has to worry about "safe" dates for Episode VII. Star Wars will crush whenever its released.

I think by "safe" he means "time for having a proper development".

Anyway, in other news:

http://a.dilcdn.com/sa/lucasfilm/assets/divisions/production_01-14f28740f92f.jpg)

Yep, that's concept art of the Falcon during a Episode VII meeting.

I think by "safe" he means "time for having a proper development".


In that case, I agree with the point made.

I Heard It Was Gonna Be 30 Years After ROTJ Which I Find Very Unsatisfying it should at least be 5 years after, If they are going that path of developing the new Star Wars Disney Better Make It Good, I'm Hoping For A New Villain Or Who The New Villain Will Be.

Five years after RoJ conflicts with tons of canon (look at the timeline at wookiepeida), and they couldn't do it given the actors' ages anyway. ;). 30 years after, however, doesn't have very much canon to worry about, and coincides better with the actors' ages.

Five years after RoJ conflicts with tons of canon (look at the timeline at wookiepeida), and they couldn't do it given the actors' ages anyway. ;). 30 years after, however, doesn't have very much canon to worry about, and coincides better with the actors' ages.

They aren't going to worry about the EU canon one way or another.

They aren't going to worry about the EU canon one way or another.

They haven't said what they're going to do regarding canon (unless they said something in the last week). But why bother getting fans angry about changing canon when you don't have to? Especially fan favorites like Katarn and Thrawn. Also 30 years post is about when then Skywalker and Solo children are adults.

But why bother getting fans angry about changing canon when you don't have to?

But they do, otherwise they would be limiting themselves creatively.

But they do, otherwise they would be limiting themselves creatively.

I'm just talking about choosing a time so close to RoTJ that has tons of canon in it. I'm sure they will take liberties 30 years post where the canon is relatively sparse.

Now I've been hearing 35 years. So it's apparently set in 2018. ;)

I really hope Disney doesn't butcher it... That would really bother me, as I'm sure it will all of you. :/

But why bother getting fans angry about changing canon when you don't have to?

As large as the EU fanbase is, it is only large in relation to similar fanbases. As a part of the audience for Episode VII, its rather tiny. Quite simply, we aren't on Disney's radar.

I can't imagine the hype for the new series will be anything like the (frankly, overblown) hype for the Prequel trilogy. I think the hype for Episode I actually hurt their reputation in the end. Yes the first movie made tons of money but then disappointment set in and the others were just not as anticipated and didn't do as well (though most filmmakers would be happy to make even a fraction of that kind of profit). The anticipation for Episode I was so huge because apart from a relatively niche market of EU fans, most people hadn't been really thinking about Star Wars for a decade or more. Then it seemed out of nowhere, the original creator of the series who had been saying for years how he wished to tell the "rest of the story" was finally going to do it, and that was going to also mean new games and books, comics, etc. Similar situation now, but somewhat different as well I'd say.

My prediction is that the first of the sequel trilogy will make the most money. People will go out of sheer curiosity and you will get a ton of people who go who have never seen any of the prior films and weren't fans before. If they make the other films, they will establish a new legion of fans, but it will be a different fanbase than the previous ones. I might compare it to the fans of the Star Trek films... how you had the original series films, the Next Generation films and now the last two films. Granted there's more of a time span there, but with so many factors going into the production this time around, it's going to be very different, I predict, than the situation of the Prequel Trilogy vs. the Original Trilogy.

I also predict that once you take inflation into account, the Sequel trilogy won't make as much money as the Prequels, much less the original trilogy. And I'm going to predict right now its because Star Wars has too saturated the market over the years and older fans have been burned too many times. We'll see what happens, but that's how I'm calling it now.

I can't imagine the hype for the new series will be anything like the (frankly, overblown) hype for the Prequel trilogy. I think the hype for Episode I actually hurt their reputation in the end. Yes the first movie made tons of money but then disappointment set in and the others were just not as anticipated and didn't do as well (though most filmmakers would be happy to make even a fraction of that kind of profit). The anticipation for Episode I was so huge because apart from a relatively niche market of EU fans, most people hadn't been really thinking about Star Wars for a decade or more. Then it seemed out of nowhere, the original creator of the series who had been saying for years how he wished to tell the "rest of the story" was finally going to do it, and that was going to also mean new games and books, comics, etc. Similar situation now, but somewhat different as well I'd say.

My prediction is that the first of the sequel trilogy will make the most money. People will go out of sheer curiosity and you will get a ton of people who go who have never seen any of the prior films and weren't fans before. If they make the other films, they will establish a new legion of fans, but it will be a different fanbase than the previous ones. I might compare it to the fans of the Star Trek films... how you had the original series films, the Next Generation films and now the last two films. Granted there's more of a time span there, but with so many factors going into the production this time around, it's going to be very different, I predict, than the situation of the Prequel Trilogy vs. the Original Trilogy.

I also predict that once you take inflation into account, the Sequel trilogy won't make as much money as the Prequels, much less the original trilogy. And I'm going to predict right now its because Star Wars has too saturated the market over the years and older fans have been burned too many times. We'll see what happens, but that's how I'm calling it now. I just hope Disney don't destroy a great franchise like this one I swear if this is a flop I want see the other two they hosted open casting we know who the cast is I hope they what they are doing