Ever since Disney snapped up the rights to the Star Wars franchise, Episode VII has been trumpeted as the studio’s marquee release in May 2015.
However, with a 2014 start date fast approaching, progress on the project still appears slow, with the script yet to be completed and no major casting having been announced.
Indeed, THR is reporting that producer Kathleen Kennedy (along with the rest of the creative team) had asked Disney execs to push Episode VII back to 2016 to ensure Lucasfilm can deliver the best film possible.
However, Disney CEO Bob Iger is said to be adamant that the film will arrive in 2015, as planned, likely as a result of shareholder pressure to see profits delivered when promised.
The report goes on to claim that Abrams is more on Iger's page than Kennedy is, but the idea of a race against the clock doesn't sound overly promising for the film's chances of living up to expectations.
Just in case the revival of one of the biggest movie franchises of all time wasn’t high-stakes enough, it seems that Disney is piling the pressure on even more. Over to you, J.J….
