Star Wars Episode VII: What You Need to Know

STAR WARS EPISODE VII is in the works, fellow geeks!  Here are some things to know about the new movie:

1.  It’s too far away:

The Star Wars movie is supposed to come out on December 18, 2015 according to IMDB. I’m sorry, but that just isn’t acceptable.  That is:

• 48,470,400 seconds
• 807,840 minutes
• 13,464 hours
• 561 days
• 80 weeks (rounded down)
• 1 year, 6 months, and 13 days

Here is a Countdown Clock for all of you truly obsessed fans.

Good luck waiting that long.  Try reading one of these fabulous books to stave off the insanity:

2.  It’s set 30 years post-Return of the Jedi

You may think that this guarantees an all-new Star Wars cast, but apparently Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, and Harrison Ford will all be back in this new episode playing older versions of Princess Leia, Luke, and Han Solo, respectively.  Also back playing beloved Star Wars characters are Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), and Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca).

 3.  There will be some new faces

Now that you can rest assured that your old favorites will be back, you can start to get excited about some new actors and actresses.  The most talked-about new addition to the cast is Lupita Nyong’o, who will surely be incredible as any character (although I’m personally hoping for a female Jedi warrior).  Also joining the cast are Adam Driver from HBO’s show Girls, Gwendoline Christie from Game of Thrones, and Andy Serkis who is the voice of Gollum in Lord of the Rings.

4.  Photos were leaked, and J.J. Abrams responded

Somebody leaked these photos showing Han’s spaceship, the Millennium Falcon, in what appears to be a movie set.  With the easy access to Photoshop that we have today, there’s no telling how accurate this is or what it means in terms of the upcoming movie, but J.J. Abrams’s response to the leak is very interesting.

He tweeted this picture as a response to the influx of fan speculation regarding the photo of the Falcon.  It reads: “I wish people would stop leaking photos from Episode VII.  And making ridiculous claims that the Millennium Falcon is in the movie.”  While this may initially seem discouraging to Star Wars fans, the backdrop for the note is enough to stir up even more discussion about the upcoming film.  The checkered object appears to be a Dejarik game featured in the first movie.  Very, very interesting…

5.  It will be wonderful

When that fateful December day comes, Star Wars fans will flock to the theaters and spend two-ish hours in pure bliss watching the continuation of a series that they grew up watching.  I can’t wait.