Episode VIII update: Space Bear

With filming now under way on Star Wars Episode VIII, the internal production codename for the lastest installment has been leaked in a picture tweeted by Carrie Fisher. "Space Bear" has been confirmed as the internal working title, which is unlikely to have any bearing (please excuse the pun) on the plot of the movie. Working titles, such as Return of the Jedi's "Blue Harvest" are typically used to mask the identity of a production to avoid unwanted attention.

With the success of The Force Awakens behind them, the production team are undoubtedly expecting fierce interest from fans and members of the press hoping to catch a big scoop, and with that in mind the security team of Episode VIII have vowed to take down any camera-laden aerial drones they spot hovering over filming locations. They intend to use firearms and their own defensive drones in order to fend off this Attack of the Drones.

Filming started back at the Irish island of Skellig Michael, home of Luke Skywalker's mysterious solitude on Ahch-To. To minimise the time spent in this precious location filming will reportedly move to Ceann Sibeal, also in Ireland, in April. There has also been a set constructed at Pinewood Studios that will serve as the island retreat, so we can definitely expect to spend more time with Luke on Ahch-To, which seems to be the sequel trilogy's answer to Dagobah.

It was announced some time ago that some filming will be completed on location in Croatia, and new reports suggest that there may be a chase scene filmed in the historic town of Dubrovnik, which has notably also been seen on television as the city of King's Landing in HBO's adaptation of Game of Thrones. Dubrovnik is likely to be portraying a new planet or location we have not seen before, although some have speculated that the city which was beseiged in 1991 would make a good fit for a war-ravaged Naboo.