'Star Wars: Episode VII' Leaks Are Leading Fans on a Path to the Dark Side

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'Star Wars: Episode VII' Leaks Are Leading Fans on a Path to the Dark Side
'Star Wars: Episode VII' Leaks Are Leading Fans on a Path to the Dark Side

Yesterday’s document dump of Star Wars: Episode VII concept art represents the latest — and greatest — disturbance in the Force since the J.J. Abrams franchise re-starter commenced shooting in the spring. We’ve seen other leaked images from the Episode VII set, including those Millennium Falcon shots that TMZ posted in June, or the aerial photographs (accidentally captured) of the crew shooting at a former air force base in England. These new shots should not leave us feeling any different.

Related: The Week in ‘Star Wars’: Fake Leaked Footage and Kevin Smith’s Millennium Falcon Freak-Out

And yet, somehow, they do. Those examples provided just brief glimpses into what might be happening on the ground. This latest batch of artwork potentially reveals major plot points for Episode VII,as well as background details on what’s been happening in this galaxy since Luke, Han and Leia partied with the Ewoks at the close of Return of the Jedi. Of course, Lucasfilm hasn’t officially confirmed the authenticity of these sketches, so they could be rendered as moot to official continuity as all that takes place in the Expanded Universe. Regardless, because of the sensitive (and illegal) nature of the material, we’ll abstain from linking to the artwork, preferring to see it blown up to big screen size in a year rather than on the page now. 

JJ Abrams hosted an official 'Episode VII' first look in May

Curiosity about what Abrams is up to with Episode VII is natural and even encouraged. After all, the snooze-inducing prequel trilogy was so reviled that it’s great to hear any excitement surrounding Star Wars' imminent return to the big-screen. And Abrams has done a nice job stoking that excitement through cryptic photos,and just-shy-of-spoiler-y videos. No doubt learning from his Star Trek Into Darkness experience, the director-Mystery Box aficionado has maintained a firmer grasp on this movie’s messaging, carefully avoiding issuing any denials about which Star Wars characters are involved (or, perhaps more significantly, who is not involved) and, in general, putting a smiley face on all the secrecy. With Into Darkness, it always felt like he had something to hide. Here, it’s more like he genuinely wants to protect Episode VII's surprises to ensure they land with maximum impact when the movie hits theaters on December 18, 2015.