With production on Star Wars: Episode IX expected to commence at the end of July, the good folks at Star Wars News Net have uncovered some new intel relating to the sequel’s schedule. And how one familiar location may spell a return to Yavin IV. Or Massassi Temple.
Sources close to the outlet have revealed that J.J. Abrams and his team have been scouting for locations in the United Kingdom, where they supposedly arrived at the Cardington Airship Sheds in Bedfordshire.
If that name rings a bell, it should; the county’s cavernous hangars played host to George Lucas’ original Star Wars trilogy all those years ago, when it doubled as a location for the famous Massassi Temple. The Cardington Airship Sheds were later used for the production of Rogue One, in which Gareth Edwards shot scenes for Yavin IV, an Earth-like moon that doubled as a base for the Rebel Alliance prior to their relocation to Hoth.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that Star Wars: Episode IX is bound for Yavin IV, mind you, nor does it tell us that J.J. Abrams plans to recreate Massassi Temple for a particularly nostalgic scene – after all, the Cardington Airship Sheds have been used by numerous productions over the years, including everything from Dumbo to The Dark Knight. Instead, it does indicate that Abrams hopes to bring things full circle with his so-far untitled threequel – which is fitting, really, given that it’s about to close the book on Lucasfilm’s Skywalker Saga.
Production on Star Wars: Episode IX begins later this month ahead of a theatrical release in December of 2019, and as soon as we hear more about what to expect, we’ll be sure to let you know.