Star Wars: Episode VII Rumor: Millennium Falcon Exterior And Interior Sets Completed

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MF1

“Han Solo’s spaceship, the Millennium Falcon, was hired by Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Episode IV. For the follow-up, 1980′s The Empire Strikes Back, the only full-scale model was built in Pembroke Dock (image © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved)” ~BBC

 

Rumors out of the United Kingdom are that the sets for both the exterior and interior of the Millennium Falcon sets have been completed and are waiting to move to Pinewood Studios in England when filming starts at the English studio in 2014.

According to a source close to production, the iconic Millennium Falcon has already been built for ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’… and it could be bigger than ever.

“A full-scale 1:1 Millennium Falcon has been built as well as the interiors of the ship for filming,” they explained. “The Falcon is done – inside and out. The sets were built off-site, ready to move when Lucasfilm/Bad Robot were ready to move into Pinewood.”

MF2

“The model Millennium Falcon was built over three months in early 1979 by a Pembroke Dock company, Marcon Fabrications. The construction was a closely guarded secret which the company referred to using the codename ‘Magic Roundabout’ (image © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved)” ~BBC

For The Empire Strikes Back, the full scale Millennium Falcon set was built secretly at Pembroke Dock in Wales. The eastern hanger of the Royal Dockyard in which the Falcon was built is famous for housing the World War II Sunderland flying boats.  The ship was then transported in pieces for filming to Elstree Studios.

Given the sheer scale of the Falcon set, the concept of making it modular makes a ton of sense particularly if Lucasfilm is going to invest in storing and re-using the sets across Episodes VII-IX, any spin-off films and potentially other projects.

The full scale 1:1 set built for The Empire Strikes Back was 70ft in diameter and weighed in at 23 tons. It was constructed of a steel frame covered in wood.

It is not clear if the new Falcon set is again being constructed in Wales or if it is being constructed off-site closer to Pinewood Studios.

MF3

“Full-scale model of the Millennium Falcon Production shot from Star Wars: Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi
Weighing 23 tons and 70 feet in diameter, the full-scale Millennium Falcon was constructed in a giant aircraft hangar out of wood and a steel frame. It was then dismantled and transported in sections to Elstree Studios for filming (image © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved)” ~BBC

SOURCES: Yahoo UK, BBC News and BBC Wales