Ever since J.J. Abrams was announced as director of Star Wars: Episode VII, there have been plenty of rumors and also confirmations that have proven some rumors to be true.  Usually if you are into geek culture and movies, you are either a Star Wars or Star Trek fan, and while I enjoy both I prefer Star Wars by a wide margin.  As the Star Wars new film nears its 2015 release date, Lucasfilm and Disney have released some new information on the status of the production on Episode VII .

J.J. Abrams new film is set to begin shooting this May at Pinewood Studios in London and it has been confirmed that Episode VII will take place 30 years after Return of the Jedi, which capped off the original Star Wars trilogy, and “will star a trio of new young leads along with some very familiar faces.”  The later reference about familiar faces seems to be a nod to what has been rumored for months that Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill will most likely return to the franchise to reprise their roles as Han Solo, Leia Organa, and Luke Skywalker.

Return of the Jedi came out in 1983, just over 30 years ago, which would bring the ages of the older actors and their characters perfectly into line.  As for the new lead characters, according to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, Star Wars: Episode VII may have found its villain.  Apparently, Girls star Adam Driver is nearing a deal to become the villain of J.J. Abrams’ upcoming Star Wars film.

No casting information has been confirmed just yet, but with the San Diego Comic-Con coming up, it wouldn’t be surprising to see some very big announcements about the movie made before the end of summer.  We’ll keep you updated on any new official Star Wars: Episode VII news as it is announced.  I’m really hoping that J.J. Abrams does a better job with the Star Wars sequels than he did with his second Star Trek film, which was a  highly  disappointing follow-up to his first entertaining Star Trek film.

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Courtesy of  Variety and The Hollywood Reporter