When it comes to a sprawling space opera franchise like Star Wars, the spacecraft that the characters use to travel in are practically characters in their own right. Filming on Disney's first entry in the series, Star Wars: Episode VII, has been ongoing for several months now, and in that time we've seen plenty of glimpses of the spacecraft that will be appearing in the next chapter of the Star Wars story.
Director J.J. Abrams himself has been responsible for several of the reveals, not only confirming the appearance of the Millennium Falcon but also offering a full view of the new X-wing starfighter design in a video promoting a competition for fans to appear in the movie. Abrams' latest tease was a seemingly innocuous note placed on a reflective surface that showed a lighting pattern very similar to that of the Death Star, hinting that the Empire could make a comeback in the new trilogy.
Following the accidental discovery of some Star Wars starfighter props at RAF airfield Greenham Common by a photographer taking publicity shots for a flying school, several sources over at Latino Review embarked on their own photo session using home drone technology to fly over the airfield. Greenham Common includes docking bays that could easily be dressed up as a base on an alien planet, and the latest aerial images show two fully-constructed X-wings alongside some 2D stand-ups and half of the Millennium Falcon (the incomplete props will presumably be dressed up in post-production).
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The blue and white X-wing shown in the pictures appears to be the same model that was shown in the video with Abrams, but this is the first that we've seen of the spacecraft with black and orange markings. LR claims that four supporting characters in the movie will be X-wing pilots or will fly X-wings, which would explain why multiple full models have been built. The report also claims that there will be "one big action X-wing fight," but that's pretty much a given.
Star Wars: Episode VII will feature several cast members from the original film trilogy - including Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill - alongside newcomers John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Domhnall Gleeson. The supporting cast also includes Game of Thrones stars Gwendoline Christie and Miltos Yerolemou, as well as recent Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o.
The use of so many practical props is promising for those who prefer their sci-fi movies to have a tangible look rather than being entirely fleshed out by CGI effects. We'll be sure to bring you news of any more Star Wars sightings as filming continues.
Star Wars: Episode VII arrives in theaters on December 18, 2015.
Source: Latino Review