Star Wars Filming to Return to Skellig Michael This Autumn?
Back in July, 2014 The Force Awakens crew shot for 3 days on the Skellig Michael island off the South Kerry coast. The only cast members present on the set were Mark Hamill and Daisy Ridley. Now there are new reports that Star Wars may return to Skellig Michael this autumn, for some more filming…
From IrishTimes.com:
Star Wars may return to Skellig Michael this autumn, following last summer’s controversial use of the Unesco world heritage site as a film set.
The Irish Film Board has refused to confirm or deny that it is in negotiations with Disney Lucasfilm on the company’s return, but a production team visited the monastic rock off the Kerry coast several weeks ago.
It is understood that ecologists have been employed to conduct a study and monitor the impact of production throughout the season as part of access conditions, given the fragile nature of the national monument, which is rich in archaeology and birdlife.
As you probably remember there were rumors last year that the crew wanted to go back to Skellig during the autumn (2014) to capture the scenery, which was quite different during that time of the year. It never happened. It was rumored before that instead of filming from the island they might instead be focusing on exterior scenes that could be filmed from a helicopter and would not necessarily call for the presence of actors.
Could this be the case again? Just a quick aerial shoot for some pick up shots? Or maybe they want to capture the autumn scenery for Episode VIII, although we’re still very far away from the start of principal photography.
Thanks to Cantina member Jabba The Hutt for the heads up.
Founder of SWNN, MNN and The Cantina forums.
Born on April 24, 1980.
Don’t they start shooting VIII this fall? May 2017 is only 2 years away.
Yes, that is what I heard.
its unreal. so caught up in the fact that we’re getting episode 7 i havent thought much on the fact that hell, we’re getting episode 8! (and 9, and standalones…!!) lol. and by the gods rumors and cast and etc etc will all start soon for that….
glorious, these times, i know we’re all dyin to see ep 7 but what an amazing time….its ALL ahead of us…. 🙂
Agreed. It’s wonderful to have things ahead of you!
Geesus man your right! Ha hell and ep 8 will be coming sooner than the force awakens! Jeez the hype train is filled
It’s been three years since this was announced. Check your excitement accordingly.
Isn’t this when Rogue One is filming, and not Episode VIII?
What’s the deal with Unesco’s controversy regarding shooting Star Wars? Just curious. Maybe I missed that story.
It’s in the Irish Times article. Read the source’s piece.
There is no nosy a creature as a Kerryman. That is the controversy. So lock a small time Kerry Ecologist out of something and they’ll spit and claw. Lock a County Council out they’ll fish in their bag of bureaucratic regulation. It doesn’t matter the if there is no basis for being upset, or that the awareness the film is bringing to the site is positive and the money is good for everyone. They are so childish it is adorable.
In fairness, I’m an ecologist and I’d love to work on a Star Wars set and pretend I was studying some kind of crazy exotic ecosystem.
Speculation
It’s an eeriely beautiful spot, anyway. It could work well as Luke’s “Dagobah”, the remote sanctuary he withdrew to, and the place where he will be training his apprentice.
This is exactly what it will be. Dagobah 2.0. Luke will have a big role in the next film to make up for his limited presence in this one. Only fair to Hamill, really.
I still wonder about the rumor that Luke will only be briefly seen at the end of the movie. It seems strange that Mark Hamill had to go on a diet etc. for only a few seconds of screentime.
Could it be that he appears throughout the movie, but masked and maybe seemingly a villain, only to be revealed as Luke (and not truly a villain) near the end?
Maybe there is a huge reversal where Rey/Finn originally team up with some seeming hero to fight a seeming villain, but at the climax it turns out that they have been duped and the “villain” is the hero and vice versa?
Once this has been settled, Rey seeks out (the unmasked/revealed) Luke, to start her Jedi training.
I won’t be surprised if they just repeat some aerial shot or they pick-up backgrounds for scenes. Weather changes every minute in this kind of location which makes lighting very hard.
Pretty cool getting a new production story – makes me feel nostalgic about last summer which was beyond awesome on this site with all the filming news – can`t wait `till Ep.8 starts up (won`t it be this winter though – thought I heard it will begin on the tail end of Rogue One filming,and that hasn`t even started).
In a nutshell, someone tell us what’s the issue with Unesco?
Secondly I think this 2nd return in the fall is still for episode 7. Most likely aerial shots or scenery.
The place is a bird sanctuary with some very ancient ruins which are of great significance for Irish (and world) heritage and archaeology. They are just trying to ensure that the site is protected. the fact that they are allowing filming at all shows that they are doing the best they can to meet the needs of the film crew with their responsibilities to protect the islands for the wildlife today and for future generations.
OMG I hope it’s true. I’ll be living in Spain this upcoming year and would totally try to venture over there to see what’s up. 🙂
You’d get a flight for 4 hours to stand 10 miles away from filming? Now that’s dedication. You do know Ireland is a different country yeah?
Actually I wouldn’t doubt if they go back for filming aerial and scenery shots for 7, 8, and 9.
this fall, Rogue one will be main forcus. I don’t think this shooting will be by R. Johonson.
shooting for both films will be happening simultaneously. there will be overlap at pinewood towards the end of rogue one filming. so both films will share the space.
Sources: Jabba the Hutt! I don’t want to spoil some of us classic trilogy fan speculations about J.J. Abrams helping us discover the B’ Omarr the Monks who separated mind and body, literally, to achieve enlightenment — also in Star Trek’s Gamesters of Triskilian’s three brains wagering!
My mum is from Portmagee – the village the boats for Skellig leave from – and my family know the guys who run the boats to and from Skellig. I’m visiting next month so I’ll ask around to see what’s new. I know for a fact that Skellig is a pretty inhospitable place during autumn and will look perfect for Luke’s remote sanctuary.