Report: Star Wars Episode VII May Return to Tatooine

[Karloff]

Report: Star Wars Episode VII May Return to Tatooine

Shooting will begin May 14th in Morocco, if the rumour mill speaks sooth.

Once upon a time in Morocco there was a budding young film director, George Lucas by name, who built a bunch of sets out in the desert and called it Tatooine. If reports are to be believed, J.J. Abrams intends to return to Lucas' old Moroccan haunts, and start filming May 14th. A May date isn't much of a surprise - Disney's already made it very clear that this one will STICK TO THE SCHEDULE OR EVERYONE INVOLVED WILL BE SHOT [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/129229-Star-Wars-Episode-VII-Its-2015-Or-Bust-Says-Disneys-CEO], and May was always part of the schedule - but a return to Morocco is a very interesting idea.

[gallery=2292]

Lucas' old sets are still there, more or less, as you can see in the gallery, and if Morocco is on the schedule then presumably so is Tunisia, since those are the two places the original's Tatooine scenes were shot. The sets' weatherbeaten look may even be an asset, depending on what Abrams has in mind for them. As for how much reliance should be placed on these news nuggets, who knows? This is a film almost nobody apart from Abrams - and presumably Disney - knows anything about.

There is a script [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2488496/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1], and if Abrams' hints are any indication the old gang - Ford, Fisher and Hamill - will be reprising their iconic roles. But as for what they're doing, and where, your guess is as good as anyone else's.

Sources: Collider [http://www.featureshoot.com/2013/02/remnants-of-abandoned-star-wars-sets-in-morocco-and-tunisia-reminiscent-of-ancient-ruins/#!CvaHf]


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[Brian Tams]

I didn't think my anticipation could go down anymore, but it just did.

*sigh*

Why is it always Tatooine?

 

[Daaaah Whoosh]

You know, I think there's still a lot of potential for Tatooine. Unfortunately, we haven't really seen any of it yet, so I'm not holding my breath for this time around.

 

[TiberiusEsuriens]

I wouldn't mind at all if they revisited Tatooine, but after 20 years of living in the fandom I know how much of a crutch it can be. Star Wars boasts entire galaxies full of millions of varied and inhabitable planets, but for all of that every single frikkin' important event in the known universe only ever seems to happen on 3 of them.

I'm hoping that the new trilogy will actually go to new and interesting locations, not just revisit IV-VI with extra lens flare. It will be hard to fall lower than the prequels, but we're talking about the guy who took the campiest sci-fi show ever and turn it into a CG-infested love triangle. At least some of the boys were cute :\ (I don't hate the new Star Treks, but they certainly have a vast, wasted potential)

 

[TiberiusEsuriens]

Do they even have a script yet? Or are they just going to wing this ************?

There is a script [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/131461-J-J-Abrams-Star-Wars-Episode-VII-Script-Finished]

I'm just going to assume you missed this when reading, because people on the internet would NEVER read a title then jump straight to the comments to complain about things.

 

[putowtin]

Ep 1 Tatooine
Ep 2 Tatooine
Ep 3 Tatooine
Ep 4 Tatooine
Ep 6 Tatooine

Good job we never go to that planet then or this would start to see repetitive!

 

[Often]

Sooooo... They say they have a script but they're not sure if it calls for going back to Tatooine or not?

Umm, the people involved with the movie have said they have a script. The Writer Of The Article doesn't know if Tatooine is going to be used or not. I'm not sure how you jumped to that meaning the people behind the movie don't know.

 

[KoudelkaMorgan]

If I were making an epic sci-fi masterpiece, one with a huge following and I would assume a large budget, and some of the best effects people in the industry...I could probably do better location-wise than more fucking desert.

We have those on Earth. Big, sandy, desolate, maybe some rocks, and a vaguely Arabian city. Yeah, we have those already. You've even featured them in these movies several times over.

I mean for episode 5 they blew our minds with SNOW and ICE right? And episode 6 had a FOREST!! That is some first class imagineering am I right?

I'm kidding mostly, but I always thought it was strange that Star Wars (at least the live action portion) featured some of the most boring locations in sci-fi.

How about a planet with lower gravity? Imagine some amazing aerial lightsaber battles, not that Yoda didn't already kind of have that going on...but you get my point.

They don't need to be like Metroid, I mean Serenity made otherwise normal locations feel sci-fi without actually having aliens or (for the most part) any high tech weaponry etc.

If nothing else, the fact that for the first time in over 30 years we won't already know the ending is awesome. Anyone we see could be a sith, or worse, or whatever. Its no longer predetermined who the bad guy is, how he got to power, and who he screws over along the way.

 

[GameChanger]

You know. If we just forget the prequels for a moment, Tatooine appears in just two-thirds of the series. I don't mind revisiting the place. Heck, I wouldn't care if the entire movie was set there. I know Star Wars is mostly about adventure, cool characters and new worlds, but that doesn't mean a setting like Tatooine doesn't work. There is a reason it's so iconic.

Then again, I just expect this movie to be pretty. My story expectations are as low as they get.

I just hope they break canon so much that the prequels don't count anymore.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

This movie just seems like its going for the "what fans want" or "what is starwars, lets add lots of nods to 4 - 5". Dont know why im surprised, the new ST2 movie just ripped off Khan from the original ST2 instead of telling a new story based on the entire ST universe/characters.

We already know that outside of Solo, Leia and Luke, R2D2 and maybe Chewbecca may be in it. I dont want a fan movie. I want an all new movie that uses new characters without having to make connections to the other movies. Its SWs, it will sell on its own, it doesnt need a connection to the original series to be a success.

 

[Nuxxy]

Because JJ Abrams is overrated; he reuses old things and plugs in his empty mystery box to try make it appear that it's special and different and new.

Wait for Hoth in the second and the Forest Moon of Endor in the third.

 

[mattttherman3]

Better idea: Go to Alderaan. You say you can't go to a planet that doesn't exist anymore? Hogwash! The new Republic make The Life Star which is in essence a reverse Death Star, so it brings Alderann and all it's people back to life. Now where's my academy award for best screenplay?

 

[Sol_HSA]

So my Arrakis theory is still viable..

 

[Shaolen]

It reminds me of playing Star Wars Galaxies. Most of that game took place on Tatooine lol.

 

[Tireseas_v1legacy]

Why is it always Tatooine?

Well, 5/6 prior movies had key events take place on Tatooine, and the harsh planetary and social environment make the setting ideal for training experienced Padawan or hiding out.

Although, personally, I think more Moon of Endor like forest environments would be preferable.

 

[Ickabod]

This movie is going to be a huge failure. They are spending too much time worrying about fan nostalgia and not enough on just driving a good story. It's F'n STAR WARS!!! You don't need to pay any fan service, just use the universe and build an awesome story within it.

It just seems like they are forcing the story rather than allowing the story to take place.

 

[Mahorfeus]

Or, I don't know, maybe Tatooine actually works for the story they want to tell.

Besides, Star Wars is the progenitor of contrived space destiny. Might as well return to where it all began... provided that it is somehow relevant.