‘EPISODE VII’ on schedule despite Ford’s injury, has cast two new roles

Double scoop of Episode VII news on this Sunday. First off: the flick is on schedule! Despite General Solo’s injury! Go figure. I’m sure after Disney Corporate deployed the Robo-Ninjas with their Death-Laced Scythes, all of a sudden Abrams felt he could make the December 2018 deadline. Second off: the flick has added two more members to its already impressive cast.

Good news for Star Wars fans: the seventh film in the series is confirmed to be on track despite a leg injury sustained by Harrison Ford on set last month. On the film’s official blog, creators say that production will take a two week hiatus in August while the shooting schedule is adjusted to accommodate Ford’s injury. According to reports, Ford, 71, broke his leg last month on the door of the Millennium Falcon. In the blog post, producers say that “Harrison is doing well and is looking forward to returning to the set soon.”

In the meantime, principal photography is underway at Pinewood Studios in London after shooting wrapped up on location in Abu Dhabi this past May. Even with the two-week break, the film is still on track for its December 18th, 2015 release date.

In addition, Disney’s added two more actors to the project: Crystal Clarke and Pip Andersen. Both are young, largely unknown professional actors, who made it into the project after an extensive open casting call that saw 37,000 attendees across 11 cities. Pip Andersen practices parkour — his moves can be seen in a Sony Xperia tie-in commercial with The Amazing Spider-Man. The bulk of the leading cast was announced earlier this year. [The Verge]