Disney Chief Alan Horn talks “Star Wars: Episode VII” and he spends time clearing up and confirming some things we’ve been hearing, straight from Bloomburg Television.
Yes, they have been filming in Abu Dhabi. Yes, it’s second unit photography in order to get that “Star Warsian” feel.
Those things are interesting, sure, but perhaps the biggest bit of new news to come out of this clip and news conference. I think the biggest might be that we’re not locked into the December release patterns in perpetuity. It sounds like Disney wants to get back to the May releases, and I’d love that, too.
The rest involves the budget, which was contained in this Bloomburg press release accompanying the video:
On whether Disney is spending Marvel type of money on the Star Wars trilogy:
“We actually don’t even have the completed budget yet. But it will be in that range. These large, tentpole kinds of movies, on the expensive side, are in the neighborhood of $175-200 million, that kind of a number — some are more, some are less. We need to give the audience, essentially, a full meal in return for their affection and devotion and love for these properties.”
On George Lucas’s role:
“George is a consultant. The understanding is when he sold the company — and he did sell the company to the Walt Disney Company — so he’s very aware of that. So we now are the primary drivers behind this property. But he is a very valued person. He’s the father of all this. Kathy interacts with him, back and forth I think.”
So, we know a budget now, and have a confirmation that George Lucas is still in the mix, consulting, which is what he does very best.