‘Star Wars: Episode 7′ Set Photos: AT-ATs on Tatooine!
As you may have heard, 'Star Wars: Episode 7' will be filming in Abu Dhabi for a few months this summer, as the UAE capital stands in for Tatooine, the home planet of Luke Skywalker. With production set to begin next month, work on the Tatooine set has already begun and today we have our first ever 'Star Wars: Episode 7' set photos, and look which classic 'Star Wars' vehicle is back!
While you might look at that photo above and go, "Uhh, OK, that's some dude's rolling a big concrete circle into a white tent," we can tell you those dudes work for 'Star Wars: Episode 7' and that big wheel very much looks like the foot of an AT-AT, the large, four-legged walker introduced in 'The Empire Strikes Back'.
There were previously only AT-AT appearances on Hoth and Endor, so it would be interesting to see what they're doing on Tatooine. And, just to be sure, and because this is 'Star Wars' and this is what fans do when there are mysterious 'Star Wars' set photos, someone posted a comparison online:
What will likely happen is that the feet/legs of the AT-ATs will be built practically on set while CGI is used to create the rest of the walker. (Or, perhaps this is being used for a close-up that takes place at ground level and a wide shot isn't needed.)
While it might seem surprising to have set photos popping up when we still have no idea who's going to star in the actual movie, remember that it was confirmed earlier this month that 'Star Wars: Episode 7' has actually started filming already. You would think that with all this movement going on surrounding the film that an official casting update is imminent.
In addition to its time in Abu Dhabi, 'Star Wars: Episode 7' will film primarily in London at Pinewood Studios.
We've included some more photos from the Tatooine set below, so you can further deconstruct and analyze.
'Star Wars: Episode 7' opens in theaters on December 18, 2015.