New Photos of Millennium Falcon being built as Star Wars: Episode VIII filming lands in Donegal

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Malin Head

Star Wars is one of the most popular franchise world-wide, and it’s showing up in nearly every corner of Ireland. New photos of what looks to be the famous Millennium Falcon ship have surfaced. Read on for more…

 

Today, new construction photos courtesy of the Irish Mirror have surfaced on-line with a closer look at the set for the new Star Wars film, soon to be shot in Co Donegal. A team has spent the spent the last three weeks close to Ireland’s most northerly point at Malin Head constructing the set for the latest Star Wars: Episode VIII film. The new set of photos reveals the lower portion of what just might be the Millennium Falcon parked at the Ahch-To set. Check them out!

 

From the Irish Mirror

A heavy security presence has kept snooping eyes away from the set on which filming starts this weekend.

But our pictures show what appears to be a huge water tunnel crossing the rugged landscape of the head.

A giant platform has also been erected on a massive outcrop with insiders revealing how a zip-wire is also planned from the platform into the sea.

Hundreds of tourists are arriving at the location each day in the hope of getting a glimpse of the set.

Many are visiting the local Malin Town which is seeing an early influx of tourists as a result of the interest in the sic-fi epic.

At least twelve security guards from a Dublin based security company are patrolling the lands around Malin Head on both foot and on mobile patrol.

Permission has been granted by local landowners to use the lands for the coming weeks.

Donegal County Council has confirmed that it will close the roads leading to the tourist destination between this Sunday, May 15th and Tuesday, May 17th next.

It stated that the Malin Loop will be closed temporarily over these days but it has not stated why the roads are being closed.

Many local B&Bs as well as private holiday homes have been booked out for the entire month of May to accommodate crew from Lucas Films.

Outgoing Junior Minister for the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Joe McHugh, said he was delighted the crew had arrived and was looking forward to Donegal featuring in the upcoming Stars Wars film.

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Also, a new Irish location video for the next Star Wars film has surfaced courtesy of Independent.ie

 

 

While little is known about the plot of the next chapter of the galaxy spanning saga, these new photos of filming give a snippet into what fans can expect to see in the follow up to ‘The Force Awakens’. The sets are a recreation of Skellig Micheal island, which was seen in finale of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, atop the spectacular mountain island with the heroic Rey extending her lightsaber to Luke Skywalker.

Comparison photo of the final scene in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

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Millennium Falcon as seen in Star Wars: The Force Awakens
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Falcon at the Pinewood Studio set in England

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Back in April, the Daily Mail showed us and over-head shot of a new full-scale Millennium Falcon being built at England’s Pinewood Studios. If it is the famous ship, these new images would mark the second time construction of the Falcon has taken place for the film. While she’s currently not much to look at, she’s still got it where it counts.

 

Check back for more Star Wars news here at SWNN.

 

May the Force be with you…

 

Source: IrishMirror.ie
Special thanks to Reddit.com member keepyourheart for some photos as well.

 

 

+ posts

25 thoughts on “New Photos of Millennium Falcon being built as Star Wars: Episode VIII filming lands in Donegal

  • May 10, 2016 at 2:41 am
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    Wow- it seems like every few days there is a new Ireland shoot announced or a new set being built in an island location…kinda makes me wonder just how much of this movie takes place on Ach-To?

    • May 10, 2016 at 3:39 am
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      2 hours 10 minutes, all silent staring between Luke and Rey, with a minute and a half of action, adventure, and one-liners at the very end. Disney has heard your criticisms about Luke in TFA and rest assured they’ve taken them to heart for this film!

      • May 10, 2016 at 4:08 am
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        That would be some funny shit…

    • May 10, 2016 at 3:44 am
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      could be two different planets? who knows!

    • May 10, 2016 at 6:17 am
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      Most of the movie, hopefully.

    • May 10, 2016 at 9:29 pm
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      Maybe we spend most of the film with Rey trying to get Luke back to Leia. Then right at the end Luke finds Leia and she says nothing. The end

  • May 10, 2016 at 3:11 am
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    Are we sure this is the Falcon?

    • May 10, 2016 at 3:37 am
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      Sure doesn’t look like it to my eyes. None of that detailing lines up with anything on the Falcon, particularly not around the boarding ramp (which, for whatever ship it is, I assume is what they’ve built there)

      • May 10, 2016 at 4:45 am
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        If it’s not the Falcon… Then it couldn’t be the ship we saw taking off after someone dropped Rey off on Jakku, could it?

        • May 10, 2016 at 6:30 am
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          The picture of that ship posted by Pablo Hidalgo showed a large cockpit on the underside of the ship. I don’t see that here.

          • May 10, 2016 at 6:49 am
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            Ah, I’d only seen in the movie, and it looked more like a flattish semicircular shape at the front from that angle. I’m not convinced now I’ve had a look at the picture. Anyway, exciting to see what it turns out to be!

      • May 10, 2016 at 5:50 am
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        that is the falcon the detailing under the falcons ramp is a stage that they are going to cover up or edit out

        • May 10, 2016 at 6:50 pm
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          I don’t think you get what I’m saying. Compare the very first spy photo to the Pinewood photos, ironically, particularly where they’re trying to demonstrate it’s the same. Look closely at the paneling – that is way, WAY chunkier than anything on the Falcon, much more like boxes stuck on the hull than armor panels, which is what plates the Falcon’s docking tubes – that’s not the Falcon.

          • May 12, 2016 at 6:09 am
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            now i see it. i thinks its the falcon still being built remember that ship is old had will have needed replacement parts

    • May 10, 2016 at 6:27 am
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      Obviously they’re still building it, but I don’t see anything in these photos to convince me it’s the Falcon.

    • May 10, 2016 at 7:14 am
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      They are picturing the Millenials (Rey, Finn, Kylo), …so must be the Falcon.
      😀

  • May 10, 2016 at 7:14 am
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    That does not look like the Falcon to me. Wild guess not based on any intelligence at all: This is a ship that brings Kylo Ren and/or a bunch of First Order troops to Ahch-To to kill Luke.

    • May 11, 2016 at 12:56 am
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      I’m going to say not FO because the colours have been pretty consistent so far – dark grey, white, and black for the bad guys, dirty beiges for the good guys. That looks pretty classic “rebel spaceship hull” coloured to me anyways.

  • May 10, 2016 at 1:15 pm
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    Confusing shapes and form. Too early i think.
    Luke’s ship maybe?

  • May 10, 2016 at 3:13 pm
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    I wonder if the crew is getting tired of rebuilding the Falcon for the 100th time.

    • May 10, 2016 at 3:46 pm
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      It’s what they live for.

    • May 13, 2016 at 9:57 am
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      Yea it seems like s big waste of time and money. Just use the same one from FA

  • May 10, 2016 at 3:49 pm
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    In the end with all the practical and CGI effects, I just want a great story and Luke Skywalker kicking but and taking names. I can’t wait for Episode VIII.

    • May 13, 2016 at 9:55 am
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      Exactly!

  • May 13, 2016 at 9:56 am
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    Why would they even rebuild all that?! Why not just use the same one from TFA.

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