Star Wars 9 leaks: Return to THIS iconic location from A New Hope? ‘Filming scheduled’

It is alleged that filming has been scheduled for Cardington Sheds; giant hangars at RAF Cardington in Bedfordshire, England.

While it is not known currently what exactly will be shot there, the location was famously used to shoot scenes on Yavin 4 – sparking speculation that the story could return there in 2019.

That, you may remember, was the moon that hosted the headquarters of the Rebel base in the second half of A New Hope, and it was returned to in 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The scenes included iconic shots of X-Wing fighters hovering over trees, as well as the throne room sequence at the very end of the 1977 classic.

Given that the Rebels used an old abandoned base on Crait at the end of Episode 8: The Last Jedi, could they be making a habit of making the most of old locations?

Making Star Wars cites enthusiast Trevor Monk as raising the alarm that the Cardington Sheds are being used for the upcoming blockbuster.

Monk reportedly first flagged-up that they were being reused ahead of Rogue One – and sure enough, Yavin 4 was seen in the anthology tale.

Star Wars 9 has not begun filming yet, but is heading into production this summer – and will mark the end of the Skywalker saga and the conclusion to Rey’s arc.

The likes of Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn) and Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) are all expected to return, after the explosive events of Last Jedi.

Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa) will not be seen in any capacity, after LucasFilm elected not to use CGI or archival footage following her sad death in late 2016.

As for Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, there remains something of a question-mark.

He appeared to die at the end of Episode 8, but whether or not he will make an appearance as a Force Ghost – as Yoda did in the recent movie – remains to be seen.

Kelly Marie Tran is expected back as Rose, while Domhnall Gleeson (Hux), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron) and Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca) should also return.

JJ Abrams is directing, after helming 2015’s Episode 7: The Force Awakens. Rian Johnson is also planning a brand new trilogy.

Star Wars 9 is out on December 20, 2019.