Production on Star Wars: Episode VIII is already in its fourth week of production and filming is well underway in Dubrovnik, Croatia. As you would expect, the city has been walled off as to avoid leaks and such but little bits and pieces are still finding their way through (they always do).
Of the latest stream of tidbits coming from the set, the most exciting is the rumour that Billy Dee Williams, aka Lando Calrissian, has been spotted on set and that Dubrovnik is the filming location for Han Solo’s home planet of Corellia, which we’ve never seen in any of the previous Star Wars films before.
It’s important to take this as a rumour and it’s also worth noting that Billy Dee Williams wasn’t part of the official cast announcement from Lucasfilm last month.
Also from Dubrovnik, a new set video and more photos have arrived from set, showing an unidentified black cloaked figure flying through the air after a Force push from someone (perhaps Kylo Ren). Several individuals have been spotted walking around the set dressed in black cloaks, but there is a distinct possibility the cloaks are merely robes to cover up their real costumes.
Making Star Wars (via Squareeyed) has this quote from a local who was near the set while filming took place, who hint that Lando may well reappear: “Our friend, photographer Nikša Duper of CROPIX, snapped this a while ago, prior to a costumed cast procession descending toward the Banje beach, in the vicinity of the Dubrovnik Excelsior Hotel… Looks interesting, indeed, as the crew has obviously exited the Old City nucleus for the sake of today’s shooting!
“And for the end, an intriguing speculation that popped up as a tidbit among us, Croato-Americans affiliated with the assistant Dubrovnik film crew, but allegedly circulating online for a while as well: as Episode VIII should start immediately subsequent to Episode VII’s Skellig Michael encounter and shortly following Han Solo’s demise. Could a rumored Lando Calrissian’s appearance signify that the Dubrovnik scenery actually represents Solo’s home world of Corelia?!”
We’ve also heard rumours that the set could in fact mark a return to Naboo, the home of Padme Amidala; though we admit Corellia would be much cooler.
What do you make of these rumours? Would you be excited about the prospect of seeing Corellia and Lando Calrissian? Let us know!
Irwin Fletcher
I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.
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