Star Wars Episode 7 Plot, Cast, News & Rumors: What We Know So Far

"Star Wars: Episode VII" is undoubtedly the most hotly anticipated film currently in production.

The film is the first in the stories franchise since "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" hit theaters in 2005.

While director J.J. Abrams has been one to keep things quiet and under tight lips, there is a lot of information about the upcoming movie.

Here are some things we currently know about the upcoming picture:

Release Date Remains December 18, 2015

Despite some concerns that the film could be delayed, Disney is remaining stout in its desire to release the film during next year's holiday season.

When Harrison Ford's injury forced production to be delayed, there were many concerned that the release date would have to be pushed back. However, it seems that everything is back on track and that the film will arrive when originally promised.

Original Heroes to Have Big Roles

Ford's injury and the delay it caused in production can only mean one thing - he is important to the film. If Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill were going to have small roles in this film, then an injury to Ford would not have been such a big setback. But the delay in the production has simply served to show that he is instrumental to the story.

What roles they will play in the film is another question altogether. Speculation has it that original drafts of the script left these characters in the background while allowing younger protagonists to take over. However, it seems that J.J. Abrams was unhappy with this choice from screenwriter Michael Arndt and opted for rewriting the script and giving the original trilogy heroes one final hurrah.

Daisy Ridley to be Heroine of Trilogy

Ridley was one of the shocking casting revelations for the film. Her track record is arguably the smallest of all the actors signed on to the picture. But by some accounts, she will be the lead actress of the new trilogy and is rumored to be the daughter of Han and Leia.

This is not completely surprising. When Lucas cast his original trilogy, Mark Hamill was an unknown. The same went for Hayden Christensen, when he beat out Leonardo DiCaprio to star as Anakin Skywalker.

The interesting thing for Ridley, however, is whether this is a good or bad omen. Hamill has had a respectable career since his Star Wars days, but few would call him a massive star. Meanwhile, Christensen underwent a disappearing act. His acting in the prequels was lambasted by critics and his star waned in following years. Between 2010 and 2014, he did not make a single film.

Will Ridley follow the same fate if she is in fact the big heroine of the new Star Wars trilogy?

Adam Driver and Max Von Sydow to Play Villains

Neither role has been completely confirmed, but Variety reported early on that Driver would play a Darth Vader-like antagonist in the new movie. Meanwhile, Von Sydow is widely expected to take on the role of a villain as well. Some rumors posit that he could play Darth Plageuis the Wise, a Sith Lord that learned the power to influence midichlorians and create life.

In Episode III, Darth Sidious (AKA Emperor Palpatine) tells Anakin the story of Plagueis and tells him that his apprentice -- who was later revealed to be Sidious himself -- betrayed and killed him. However, based on the information given, it is possible that Plagueis might have potentially saved himself and hidden away over the years.

It will be interesting to track this development in the months leading up to the film's release.

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