Star Wars 7 Release Date, Cast News, Tom Cruise Rumors & Updates

By Matt Lloyd Jun 27, 2014 03:03 PM EDT

Star Wars 7 Release Date, Cast News, Tom Cruise Rumors & Updates

Star Wars: Episode VII is underway with pre-production and filming starting soon. There is much hype surrounding the highly anticipated movie but besides a few casting updates (listed below) they are keeping things every tight lipped about the upcoming 2015 film.

Andy Serkis joked recently on "CONAN" about the secrecy on set telling O'Brien, "I'd love to tell you all about [Star Wars] but we are so heavily embargoed we can't even go to the washroom with the script, there are CCTV cameras... I'm making it up but it kind of feels like that."

A rumor began circulating online that Tom Cruise would make a guest appearance in Star Wars VII. The Sun newspaper wrote a story that Cruise had a meeting with Abrams in London. A source told its reporter: "Tom has been in London for over a week and met up with JJ and some other people from Star Wars over the weekend. On Saturday evening, five of them met up for dinner and drinks at the Belgravia Hotel. JJ produced M:I5 and loves working with Tom whenever he gets the chance."

Cruise and Abrams also worked together on Mission: Impossible III, Abrams' big screen-directing debut. Star Wars: Episode VII is also starting to shoot a Pinewood Studios, outside London. However, a spokesperson for Cruise told Entertainment Tonight Canada there was "no truth" to the rumours and called the Sun article "pure fiction".

Among the cast members who will not be returning for Star Wars 7 are Billy Dee Williams Ewan McGregor (ghost Obi-Wan). Star Wars: Episode VII screenplay was written by Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan. Producers will be Kathleen Kennedy, Abrams, and Bryan Burk. John Williams is back to compose the music for the sci-fi film. The film is slated to hit theaters in the U.S. in December 2014. Production for Star Wars: Episode VII is scheduled to star in 2014 in the U.K. You can always check out the latest at the 'Star Wars' official website HERE.

"We are so excited to finally share the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII," director J.J. Abrams says. "It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud."

Star Wars: Episode VII is being directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, and John Williams returns as the composer. The movie opens worldwide on December 18, 2015.

Star Wars 7 Cast:

John Boyega

Daisy Ridley

Adam Driver

Oscar Isaac

Andy Serkis

Domhnall Gleeson

Max von Sydow

Harrison Ford as Han Solo

Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Organa

Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker

Anthony Daniels as C-3PO