Update: THR reports that Peter Mayhew will return as Chewbacca, joining the confirmed R2-D2. Check out the original story below as further casting is bound to be revealed soon.
If one couldn’t have guessed the most difficult part of the forthcoming Star Wars: Episode VII, Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn revealed it to THR during a recent discussion: the casting. With it being well over a year since J.J. Abrams was announced as director, there’s been rumor after rumor with no official word, only that Adam Driver is reportedly in final talks for a villain role.
It seems as though Disney has simply been keeping their cards close to the chest, as Horn revealed much of the cast has actually already been set and production has already begun. He said, “We have a lot of them [in place]. We’re just not completely done yet.” With a script from Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan (who took over from Michael Arndt), Horn added, “It’s all about the screenplay,” and if the beginning of production is any indication, Horn confirmed they are finally happy with it.
As we await an official announcement (which could be coming May the 4th, if rumors are to be believed), check out the 2.5-hour documentary Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy, which dives in-depth on the formation of George Lucas‘ original trio of films with a variety of interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. We’ve also included a snippet of Horn’s conversation discussing the film, which begins 35 years after Return of the Jedi and hits theaters on December 18th, 2015.
What do you think of Disney’s secretive process putting together the next Star Wars? What did you glean from the documentary?