Yesterday, we reported that J.J. Abrams was having a problem with security on the set of Star Wars: Episode VII. That problem mainly involved some rather intrepid would be paparazzi taking photos of creatures and sets being used in the film's current period of principal photography. If you know Abrams and his style of work, you know that he's a big fan of the "mystery box" approach, where he'll conceal and preserve the mystery of whatever project he's working on. So what's a director to do when internet journalism has violated his methodology, especially when dealing with a project so pressured and iconic? In J.J.'s case, it's time to get in on the fun.
What you see at the top of the page is a handwritten note, from J.J. Abrams' personal stationary nonetheless, addressing the latest onslaught of photos coming from the future blockbuster's production. The note reads:
I wish people would stop leaking photos from Episode VII, and making ridiculous claims that the Millennium Falcon is in the movie. - JJ
To be fair, there is a chance that the Falcon won't be in this film, and a ship that looks just like it might make an appearance. A ship with the same weathered old chessboard that's in the photo, and would serve a similar purpose to the one displayed in the famous match between R2D2 and Chewbacca in Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope:
Yep, it's completely ridiculous to expect Han Solo to reappear in Star Wars: Episode VII with his trusty ship.
All kidding aside, this photograph is another piece of evidence as to why J.J. Abrams is just the guy to be making Star Wars: Episode VII. Like Jurassic World, it's a production that's highly anticipated, and being handcrafted by a fan who gets the excitement surrounding the film's release. While his mystery box ethic has been in tact for most of his projects, Abrams admitted himself that his secrecy around the reveal of Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness was a mistake. It looks like Abrams has not only learned his lesson, but he's having fun with stoking the fires of excitement within the fan base. Not to mention, if the production team really wanted those photos pulled from circulation, they have the muscle to do so. At least this time at bat, it looks like J.J. Abrams is thinking more like a fan and less like a director, and it's all the more comforting that he's there to get the job done.
Star Wars: Episode VII will be released on December 18th, 2015. Who wants to bet we'll start seeing character photos sometime soon?
