Filming Locations
Brits scamper around the Isles in attempts to piece together a plot for the upcoming film
This article contains spoilers and speculation
British Jedi fans have been in overdrive since it was announced the a substantial amount of shooting for the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens would take place on British soil. Many will remember a similar bubble of excitement in the late ‘90s when it was confirmed that much of Episode I: The Phantom Menace would be filmed at Leavesden Studios in Hertfordshire.
With the release of the latest instalment now less than a month away, enthusiasts have had fun speculating what locations will be used, and what they will be used for. Caught up in the fervent anticipation, GoEuro, the search engine for comparing and booking flights, put together this handy infographic identifying some of the most iconic locations used so far in the Star Wars franchise.
For those Brits who cannot get to the Dune Sea in Tunisia where C-3PO and R2-D2 crash land at the beginning of Episode VI: A New Hope, or the Yuma Desert in Mexico, aka ‘the Great Pit of Carkoon’ where Jabba the Hutt’s empire is dissolved, there is plenty in their own isles to explore.
The knobbly trunks of the aptly named Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean have already been used for a variety of BBC television fantasy series, and therefore it was little surprise when it was revealed that director JJ Abrams had been spotted nuzzling about in the dells with his cameras and mics. Rumours are rife that this Fangorn-esque wood is where in the trailer we see we see the elusive Kylo Ren walking through the wintry trees with his red, crossguard lightsaber. More ominously still, some say that it will be here that Captain Solo is finally vanquished by the darkside.
Despite attempts to remain under the radar, eagle-eyed locals spotted Mark Hamil hanging around the two craggy Skellig Islands just of the Western coast of Ireland. It is naturally now assumed that these islands are used as the location for where Luke is hiding out, absent from posters, trailers, and – if rumours are to be believed – most of the Galaxy. His appearance in Ireland has at least reassured fans that Luke will be present in the new installment, though in quite what state, who can tell …?
In a twist worthy of a Lucas Film itself, a stray drone inadvertently caught a sighting of a half-built Millennium Falcon and an X Wing Fighter on Greenham Common, the Royal Air Force base in Berkshire. The footage was leaked and soon intrepid enthusiasts were peering through the camp’s gates to try and catch a glimpse of the work in progress. Whether Greenham Common is just the workshop, or is actually used as a location in the film, is likewise unknown.
In addition to filming locations, galactical fanatics are flocking to the UK’s LEGOLAND where they can view seven of the most famous scenes from the six live-action Star Wars movies. The Miniland Model Display is made up of an insane 1,500 LEGO® models, 1.5 million bricks and took almost 8,000 man hours to create!
Madame Tussauds in London is getting involved in the action with 16 iconic characters and 11 immersive scenes moulded and on show.
British fans have the good fortune to see the The Force Awakens on the 17th December, a day before Americans, albeit one day after the French.
The jEditor