Mr. Salty

That's a year and a half away, and I suspect they've already been working on special effects.

rocket1312

How long will principal photography last? 3 to 4 months at most? That still gives them well over a year for post-production. That doesn't seem crazy to me at all.

Rob V

I would suspect that there is no budget that can't be blown away to meet timing.

Oliver Clothesoff

Avengers 2 principle photography started in March and they've got a release date 7 months earlier... it can be done.

Ranger

New rumor is they're looking for two more women. Another name from the rumor mill: Katie Jarvis.

bunkaroo

I guess I'm just thinking back to the prequels where there was almost 2 years between the end of principal photography and release. Maybe Abrams is more efficient.

TGM

you kind of need an extensive postproduction period when everything is filmed in front of a fucking green screen. Abrams IIRC has stated that he's going to use way more practical effects (thank Christ).

joe_b

I read they would be shooting through November, so more like six months. They'll probably do any reshoots or pick-up shots in the spring, but they should have plenty of time to get the movie finished.

Interesting. The rumor came from Latino Review, which hasn't had the best track record with Episode VII casting scoops (though they were the first to report Zac Efron had taken a meeting). Fish Tank was a great film and I suspected the UK casting agents might consider Jarvis for a role, but it appears her personal life has taken precedence over her acting career. From what I've read, Katie was your typical "chav" who was discovered by a casting agent while arguing with her boyfriend at a train station. She made Fish Tank, got pregnant right after, and hasn't acted in a film since.

The new LR article also mentioned Maisie Richardson-Sellers "has been around the Star Wars production". If you study the table read photo, it actually looks like Maisie's long curly hair in the lower left corner, but I could just be grasping at straws. Anyway, I found a short film she starred in on YouTube. For a newcomer, she comes across quite poised. I can see why Abrams and co. might have wanted her for a role:

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/1ZKMiJbkgxA?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

RoboDad

I almost posted the exact same comment. Considering that the Harry Potter movies were each made in about a year, and that pretty much all of the post production work on each of the LOTR films was done in about a year, this doesn't seem unreasonable to me at all.

Besides, if the script is complete, they could already be working on some of the CGI/model effects sequences now (space battles and such). They don't need the actors for those.

RoboDad

I think a lot of that was due to Lucas, not any technical limitations.

Shannon Nutt

Just for comparison purposes, STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS began principal photography in January of 2012, finished in May of 2012, and - of course, was released a year later.

A year of post-production is plenty of time - even for a Star Wars movie. They're right on schedule, with room for delays.

MBoyd

The schedule seems more in line with the original films.

nando820

Wanna see a trailer for this already!

Supermallet

The first day of shooting is today. What kind of trailer could they possibly release?

RoboDad

Who cares? Just give us one!

TomOpus

A teaser trailer? For Star Wars? Really??

MBoyd

Saw something about a Luke Red 5 film over on slashfilm. Not really ok with seeing our main characters between Star Wars and Empire recast. But I'd be fine with a young Han Solo film before Star Wars. Well made cartoon would be fine too between the original films.

http://www.slashfilm.com/star-wars-spin-off-red-five/

I guess I should clarify too that if Disney did a complete reboot some years down the line I wouldn't mind either. As long as we get the OOT

taffer

This.

All it will take for me is the John Williams theme playing over the opening crawl, and I will be jizzing my pants.

TGM

throw in a sound of a lightsaber warming up and a Tie Fighter screech and I'd be jizzing your pants too.

joe_b

Sign is up at Pinewood Studios:Andy Serkis: "It's a beautiful script."

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/nH9vyPpbvno?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

HN

TGM

Josh-da-man

A John Williams score playing over a montage of concept art with a few sound effects thrown in.

arminius

All this sounds like deja vu all over again.

Rob V

Sweet! I just jizzed in taffer's pants.