Star Wars: Episode VII director J.J. Abrams might have previously been famous for his love of secrecy during the film production progress, but that's an image that's taken a lot of hits during the filming of the first entry in the newly Disney-owned franchise. There have been so many leaked images, unofficial set photos and plot rumors that it's been hard to keep track of them all.
Of course, Star Wars: Episode VII is the subject of scrutiny for a good reason, and it's difficult to guard against factors like fans flying drones over the set to take photos. In the wake of the film being announced there was some discussion among producers as to whether it was important to keep everything strictly secret - or whether leaks and rumors are a healthy way of generating hype. Either Disney has settled on the latter, or it's simply been impossible to plug all the leaks in such a large production.
Outside of a few promotional videos with J.J. Abrams, there hasn't been much in the way of official details or images regarding Star Wars Episode VII, and all of the rumors have to be taken with a pinch of salt. The latest alleged leak is a batch of concept art, which was originally posted on an Imageshack account called themillennium falcon. The images have since been deleted from the account but are archived over at Nuke the Fridge, and a fan site called The Star Wars Underworld claims to have heard from a source close to production that they are "legit."
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CLICK HERE TO VIEW LEAKED CONCEPT ART
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Quite a few of these concept art images tally with what we've previously seen and heard about Star Wars: Episode VII; the last one in particular is a match for Greenham Common, the location that was used as what appears to be a hangar for various spacecraft and which some reports have claimed is actually the Massassi Temple. The cyborg character shown holding the wreck of Darth Vader's helmet has been seen in previous concept art, and according to some rumors this may actually be a new version of a familiar character.
The depictions of Daisy Ridley's character in particular match up with the reports that we've previously heard about her role and the relationship between her and Max von Sydow's character. We've also seen the chrome stormtroopers before, and several images show settings on Tatooine, which has long since been confirmed as one of the locations that will appear in the film.
For now you shouldn't completely discount the possibility that some or all of these images are fan-made - and thus, are simply based on the rumors that have been circulating. Still, considering how poorly the Star Wars: Episode VII production has been kept under wraps thus far, there's also a real chance that these are genuine.
Star Wars: Episode VII arrives in theaters on December 18, 2015.
Source: The Star Wars Underworld, Nuke the Fridge