Suvudu Universe

Marc Graser of Variety reported some interesting Star Wars Episode VII news this morning:

Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn is speaking at Variety's Dealmakers Breakfast.

— Marc Graser (@marcgraser) December 13, 2013

Disney expects to get script for Star Wars 7 in January. No budget for movie although studio wouldn't be surprised if it costs $200 million.

— Marc Graser (@marcgraser) December 13, 2013

I find quotes like this to be rather illuminating. With rumors of 1:1 scale Falcons built, shipped, and standing at Pinewood, it nearly kills those rumors. Movies have gone forward without strict budgets, I’m sure it happens all the time, but this makes me even more hesitant there is even a grain of truth to it.

My impatient side asks why, if the script is going to be ready in January, could we filming not have started in January with a May 2015 release date? The original trilogy was made under those kinds of circumstances. Disney, Bad Robot, and Lucasfilm clearly do not want to have a chaotic and disorganized production. So lets add that to the reasons we likely do not have a standing Falcon at Pinewood right now as well.

$200 million dollars makes it the most expensive Star Wars film to date. The most expensive Star Wars film ever was Attack of the Clones, coming in at $115 million. If Attack of the Clones was made today, with inflation, it would cost $151.42 million. Attack of the Clones attempted to save money by filming on digital but it ended up actually costing more because of some technicalities. So really, Episode VII is going to be the most expensive Star Wars film of all time regardless of the era in which it was made. Does that mean it will be bigger and grander? Maybe. Or just maybe they aren’t as good at penny-pinching as George Lucas and Rick McCallum.

Disney expects a Star Wars related movie (including spin offs) every year from Lucasfilm. #StarWars

— Marc Graser (@marcgraser) December 13, 2013

It is nice to hear that is still the plan. There was not anything official to make us doubt that the plan had changed, but we hadn’t heard it reiterated in a long while and with the release date shift, it seemed as if plans might have changed. Now, which is the first spin-off film, Lucasfilm?

Indy News:

Don’t Expect a New Indiana Jones Movie for at Least Two to Three Years http://t.co/jyZJJZBE8L via @Variety

— Marc Graser (@marcgraser) December 13, 2013

Disney's Alan Horn on Indiana Jones: "We need a story." Guesses it will be another two to three years before we see a fifth movie.

— Marc Graser (@marcgraser) December 13, 2013

That sounds like what we expected. Still, an Indy movie in as early as two years isn’t too shabby! I’ll take it.

Thanks again to Marc Graser for sharing this information.