Fans that are anxiously waiting for the release of the new Star Wars film will be happy to hear that “Star Wars Episode VII” begins filming in January.  If everything goes well and there are no setbacks, the film is expected to be released in 2015, with the subsequent films in the trilogy debuting in 2017 and 2019.

On Saturday night director J.J. Abrams spoke at the Produced By Conference where he answered a few questions about the film.  According to Abrams, “We are, most likely, if all goes as planned, going to be moving to London at the end of the year for the Star Wars movie.”  Parts of each of the previous six Star Wars films were produced in London, so Abrams will be keeping up a tradition that dates back to the 1970s.

Despite keeping up with a tradition that might appease some of the hardcore fans who aren’t happy with a new trilogy, it appears the director is less than thrilled about relocating for the next few years.  All of Abrams’s previous films have been shot in Los Angeles, giving him the ability to stay close to his family.  Abrams said that the move “really does make me insane,” and that he doesn’t want to inconvenience his wife and kids by moving to London.

Since a lot of fans are concerned that the new trilogy might step so far away from the original franchise that it will be nearly unrecognizable, Abrams briefly addressed those concerns. “It is so massive and so important to people,” he said. “I think the key to moving forward on something like this is honoring but not revering what came before.”

If any director can successfully pull off a new Star Wars trilogy, it will be Abrams, who has seen a lot of box office success with his movies, including his two Star Trek films.  Something that may help Abrams stay true to Star Wars is the fact that the director of Episodes I through VI, George Lucas, will be on the set as a creative consultant during production.

In addition to Lucas being on the set, some of the original trilogy cast members will be back for the new film.  Mark Hammill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Harrison Ford (Han Solo) and Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian) have reportedly signed on for “Star Wars Episode VII.” Abrams hasn’t revealed whether these actors will receive significant screen time when they reprise their roles or if their inclusion is more about “honoring” the original trilogy.