Star Wars: Episode VIII Preparations for Kerry, Ireland Shoot Underway. Filming Starts in May!

Kerry
Image by RTE

 

Ireland is no stranger to the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, with Skellig Michael serving as a filming location for both The Force Awakens and Episode VIII. Now, preparations for filming in Kerry have begun in earnest, with filming set to begin in May.

 

From RTE:

Contractors have already arrived on the Dingle Peninsula and are currently installing a 1.5km metal roadway on the slopes of Ceann Sibéal (see title image). It’s understood the roadway will facilitate the transport of gear and crew to the summit for filming on Star Wars: Episode VIII.

 

The Irish Film Board says it is not in a position to publicly discuss its dealings with individual film companies. However, it’s understood locally that filming will take place over a two-week period in the middle of May.

 

First it was rumored that the filming will take place in April. A reason for the shift to May might be because Episode VIII will be filming in Iceland in April as we reported before (HERE).

Kerry Ireland

 

The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht confirmed on Thursday that a film permit has been issued for Ceann Sibéal and that it “has approved a proposal for a limited amount of filming by a film production company on Ceann Sibéal on the Dingle Peninsula later this year”.

 

Environmental concerns are still present, although the necessary precautions are significantly lessened compared to the filming on Skellig Michael. Numerous local jobs are being offered to assist in support for filming.

 

Thanks to Grahamken for the heads up.

 

 

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Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.

Grant Davis (Pomojema)

Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.

10 thoughts on “Star Wars: Episode VIII Preparations for Kerry, Ireland Shoot Underway. Filming Starts in May!

  • March 3, 2016 at 11:46 pm
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    This is interesting… Anch-To? Or dubrovnik planet?

  • March 3, 2016 at 11:51 pm
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    This is intriguing….

  • March 4, 2016 at 1:19 am
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    Shooting moved to May most likely due to the Irish weather.

  • March 4, 2016 at 2:42 am
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    Iceland? Again? How many times they gonna blow that place up?

    • March 4, 2016 at 9:32 am
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      Greenland is full of Ice, Iceland is largely green. lol

  • March 4, 2016 at 4:13 am
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    This is a stand-in for Skellig Michael aka Ahch-To. The cliffs in Ceann Sibeal are reasonably similar to the ones on the Skellig. That said, it’s not the Skelligs. Which, for me, as a local, and, for all of us as fans, is a shame. It’s an extraordinarily special place that you can’t really replicate on the mainland. But, that’s the way it goes and at least they got some good footage in the can in September.

    The main reason for shifting the location there is the logistical difficulty of filming on Skellig and, sadly, the absurdly overblown controversy surrounding filming on the island that had no real basis in fact. It still blows my mind that that even became a thing.

    There’s only one really valid reason not to film there and that is that, for a film crew, it’s an absurdly risky proposition, given that access to the island is only possible if the weather co-operates. And you’re talking about Irish weather. So, if you were unlucky, you could have a multi-million dollar operation burning through cash for days on end, doing nothing. But, obviously the gods were on their side since the weather co-operated both times they visited.

    Still, though. It was fun while they were here. They’re a nice bunch.

    • March 4, 2016 at 5:20 am
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      Skellig is an interesting location for sure, but I would imagine they got what they needed out of it and like any Star Wars location it needs to be expanded and it’s much more practical to do that on the mainland especially if they want to build any of the set on location.

  • March 4, 2016 at 5:15 am
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    They should make a documentary revisiting all the location shoots around the globe after the trilogy is over to show how things have changed.

  • March 4, 2016 at 9:56 am
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    Definitely believe that the sets that were being built in pinewood resembling Skellig are going to be shipped to this set. Delighted that they’re taking the time to shoot on location in Ireland and not just trying to recreate The Skellig in front of a Green screen.

  • March 4, 2016 at 5:08 pm
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    That metal roadway is asking for a road sign saying “No podracing allowed”!

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