"Leaked Star Wars Episode VII Footage" From Germany Is Fake (and Fun)
Principal photography for Star Wars Episode VII has been underway at London's Pinewood Studios since location shooting in Abu Dhabi wrapped up in May. The next installment of Star Wars is not being filmed at Frankfurt Airport, but that didn't stop this fake, fan-made video from getting more than a million YouTube views.
"I took these pictures on my Flight back from the States to Germany at the Frankfurt Airport. Seems like the biggest german airport plays a key role as an imperial starport in the new episode — there have just been imperial forces at the scene," wrote the uploader on YouTube.
It's called "Leaked Star Wars Episode VII Filmset Footage!" but this clip of Imperial AT-ATs, AT-STs and Lambda-class shuttles swarming the airport was obviously cooked up by a talented amateur.
"I'm guessing this is a fan who has just been playing around. It is someone who is into visual effects who has got hold of various models of Star Wars vehicles. It's just a fan mucking about," Jellyfish Pictures CEO and visual effects expert Philip Dobree told The Guardian.
Dobree estimates it took about 2 weeks to complete.
In case you need to be convinced that the footage is fake: Star Wars set on Earth? It'd never happen. And is that the second Death Star, in the same unfinished state it was in before the Battle of Endor? Unless you're some kind of Death Star truther, that should be a dead giveaway.
On the plus side, the official footage that's been released so far hints that Abrams is going for a classic Star Wars feel, with practical effects and puppet creatures. It wouldn't be that crazy to expect these familiar vehicles to make an appearance.
Just not in Frankfurt. And without the Death Star.
