JJ Abrams' Star Wars Episode VII may take in one of the most familiar settings in the franchise, it's being suggested...
NB: A possible plot spoiler lies ahead.
With plot specifics kept so tightly under wraps as Star Wars Episode VII's production rumbles on, all kinds of rumours and snippets of information have nevertheless sneaked out now and again - some cannily fed to us by director JJ Abrams himself, others seeping forth from less official sources.
To date, we can't think of a more unexpected source of a rumour than this: former James Bond actor and all-round gentleman Sir Roger Moore.
In a talk with the BBC, Sir Roger revealed that he'd wandered by the set of Star Warsto visit Abrams, who happens to be a friend of his. What did the erstwhile 007 see while he was there?
"They were filming something with a lot of mountains and snow," he said.
Now, the logical thing to take from this is that Episode VIIwill take place at least partly on the planet Hoth, which formed the unforgettably chilly backdrop to a fair chunk of The Empire Strikes Back. Does this mean we'll see a return of the predatory Wampa, or maybe a Tauntaun or two? Or could it be that the mountains and snow don't belong to Hoth at all, but another planet entirely?
We can only guess at this stage, but given that rumours had begun to circulate six months ago that Episode VIIwould revisit Hoth - backed up by reports that the film would be partly shot in Scandinavia - this latest news snippet certainly adds a bit more credence to that theory.
More Star Wars Episode VII news - hopefully reported by Roger Moore - as it comes in.
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