Jedi aficionados now know when they need to have their robes pressed and lightsabers all shined and ready; it has just been announced on starwars.com that Star Wars: Episode VII will be released on December 18th, 2015. This makes part seven the first film with a Star Wars title not to be released in the spring. Interesting.
From the announcement on the website:
“We’re very excited to share the official 2015 release date for Star Wars: Episode VII, where it will not only anchor the popular holiday filmgoing season but also ensure our extraordinary filmmaking team has the time needed to deliver a sensational picture,†said Alan Horn, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios.
Star Wars: Episode VII will be directed by J.J. Abrams (Super 8, Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek)and is being scripted by Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan (Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi). Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, with Tommy Harper (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Jack Ryan, Star Trek Into Darkness) and Jason McGatlin (Tintin, War of the Worlds) serving as executive producers. John Williams is returning to score Star Wars: Episode VII.
Shooting is scheduled to begin spring 2014 at Pinewood Studios.
So there we go! Not a summer blockbuster at all, which would be competing with The Avengers: Age of Ultron and whatever the Batman vs Superman movie ends up being titled. Instead, it’s poised to go up against James Cameron’s Avatar sequel.
What do you think? Are you excited?
Can we stop with this JJ ruined the Star Trek movies? I would like someone to look me in the eye and tell me Into Darkness was worse than Star Trek I or V.
Into Darkness also had an 87% on RT (Batman Forever had a 47%). Critically well received. Spare me fanboy blubbering. Any “damage” done to the ST series is outweighed by the fans the series has gained because of JJ Abrams
@Richey,
Batman Forever and Batman and Robin were both very successful. A movie can make a profit and still do damage to the franchise.
Episode VII won’t go up against Avatar. Currently it’s going head to head with Inferno (the Dan Brown adaptation) and the Warcraft movie.
From Wikipedia:
“On August 1, 2013 it was announced there would be three [Avatar] sequels, not two as previously expected. Screenwriters were also announced: Josh Friedman for the first, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver for the second, and Shane Salerno for the third. Production was re-scheduled for 2014 with the first to be released in December 2016, the second in December 2017 and the third in 2018.[310] On October 18, 2013 Sam Worthington revealed that production of the second film will start filming in October 2014.[311]”
I tend to agree with Brian Raney, but I will concede this: Abrams made 2 Star Trek movies that were for people who aren’t necessarily into Star Trek. Richey’s box office numbers reflect this. But JJ threw enough hat-tips in to diehard fans to gain their acceptance, which is the ultimate litmus test.
I presume the same will happen with Episode VII, although I’ll probably wait for video to see it.
And, because beating a dead horse, enough with the goddamn lens flares. You’re not Dino De Laurentiis (I blame his influence on JJ’s repeated use of this in-camera effect, since De Laurentiis’ cameras/lenses/shots generated the same effect in movies he directed)
Hi Brian,
@Brian Raney : Your opinion is irrelevant.
The last two star trek films made $486,508,680 US domestic and $853,045,692 worldwide, at the box office. Both scored approximately 8.0 / 10 on IMDB. I’d say that was a remarkable success.
If anybody can do it, JJ can.
Any movie made by J.J. Abrams is going to be pure crap. Look at the disaster he made out of Star Trek! Disney is nuts to hire this guy.
For anyone who’s crying “STAR WARS IS A SUMMER MOVIE AND SHOULD ONLY BE RELEASED IN SUMMER ITS BEEN THAT WAY SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME BLAH BLAG RAGE RAGE” here’s a piece of trivia for you.
The very first Star Wars film was originally scheduled to be released in December. The ONLY reason it got pushed back to the summer was because the special effects wouldn’t be finished in time for a December released.
That’s right. The only reason it became summer faire was because ILM couldn’t get their shit together one time.
Yup! Good day to you, sirs and madams.
There’s nothing wrong with a holiday release. Remember, the “Lord of the Rings” films were all December releases, as were “Avatar” and “Titanic”. Personally, the summer season is getting too glutted with tentpole films – I’m looking forward to seeing this in the holiday season. The alternatives are to either wait an extra five months until 2016 or see one in summer of 2015 that’s rushed. I’m happy.
Right on time for my birthday! If the people who did Empire are scripting it, I feel slightly more confident that it will be a good movie.
it is going to be hard to camp outside the theater in the cold. but i will do it.
Awful. Star Wars = Summer. Disney has no idea what to do with this franchise. There is something less special about seeing this in the winter.
December?! No, no, no. Star Wars movies are always released in May!
Sounds like a great team of really talented people. I can’t wait to see what they do with it.
YESSSSSSS! So happy that Lawrence Kasdan is writing as well.