UPDATE: I talked to a Lucasfilm spokesperson who didn’t comment on the codename, but did say that during her Q and A at Star Wars Celebration: Europe, Kathy Kennedy said that the new Star Wars film wouldn’t shoot until next year. “Nothing has changed.”
So, there you have it. The official word from Lucasfilm is still next year.
Is Episode VII shooting a lot sooner than we thought?
According to a report from Jedi News, an inside source is telling them that Episode VII is actually going into production next month, which is ahead of the January 2014 dates we’ve been hearing.
From their report:
Further to this we understand that the film has been in pre-production at Pinewood Studios for three and a half months in advance of an August 2013 shooting date. We hear they have block booked the studios for 10 years and that construction of offices and facilities on-site is underway. Also storage space is being located in the local area.
It’s not impossible.
This movie has been in the works for a very long time and a lot of this ground work has been going on since before JJ Abrams came on board. And if there’s a producer that can force a good film to come out on time on an accelerated schedule, it’s someone as seasoned as Kathleen Kennedy.
The other thing that’s very interesting in the report is the code name for the production company. Blue Harvest certainly sounds a lot cooler than “Foodles.” But let’s be honest. Foodles is a lot more unassuming.
Again, this is all rumour and speculation, so take it all with a grain of salt.