Although official production on Star Wars: Episode VII has yet to begin, the pre-production, non-glamorous filming is already underway.  Speaking at the Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television in Los Angeles, Disney chairman Alan Horn told the audience [via THR] that shooting had begun.  Since main filming would have probably leaked in some form, the current work is probably second-unit and plates.  I doubt any major lightsaber battles are going down at the moment.

As for the cast, “We have a lot of them [in place],” said Horn.  “We’re just not completely done yet.”  I imagine there will be a big press event where the main cast is announced, and then people will bicker and argue even though they know nothing about the plot or characters.  At most, Actor X will be announced for Han Solo’s son or something and some people will shout, “I don’t see it!  Worst casting ever!  Protect my childhood!”  Hit the jump for a brief recap on more of what we think we know so far.  Star Wars: Episode VII opens December 18, 2015.

We know for a fact that the story picks up 30 years after Star Wars: Episode VI and that Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford will return.  As for any other casting, Adam Driver (Girls) will likely play a villain.  Beyond that, all other casting is speculation since just about every actor and actress in Hollywood has read for roles.

Regarding the shoot we learned that location shooting might begin on May 14th in Morocco, which hints at a return to Luke and Anakin Skywalker’s home planet of Tatooine.  There’s also a likelihood of shooting in Iceland, which could be Hoth, but Iceland is such a diverse landscape that it could be used for a variety of settings.

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