13/05/2013 - Seventh film in mega franchise to be shot in the UK

British Chancellor George Osborne met executives from Disney’s Lucasfilm in London in early 2013 and those discussions appear to have paid off as it has been announced that the seventh in the lucrative Star Wars franchise will be shot in the UK. The production is likely to be eligible for local tax breaks and Osborne said that he was “absolutely delighted” and that the move to the UK offered “clear evidence” of the success of British film incentives in attracting mega-budget productions.

Osborne said, “I think it is a real vote of confidence in Britain’s creative industries and a big movie like that - one of the most famous, perhaps the most famous movie franchise in the world - brings with it not just jobs for actors and directors and so on, but for all the other people who have put together an enormous movie.”

Adrian Wootton, Chief Executive of the British Film Commission and Film London said: “The British Film Commission, alongside government and our industry colleagues have worked hard to make sure this project came to the UK and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with Lucasfilm throughout the production so they can utilise everything the UK has to offer. Helping to secure an inward investment project of this size is exactly what the BFC is here to do. It is an indication of how well regarded our talent and facilities are across the globe and testament to the government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring the UK is a world centre for the production industries.”

Previous editions of the franchise have shot at British studios Elstree, Shepperton and Leavesden with Pinewood likely to be the location of the latest one.