Star Wars 7 plot and cast almost complete, filming has already begun

Screenplay is all important, says Disney chairman

Disney Chairman Alan Horn has revealed that filming on Star Wars Episode 7 is already underway, the script is "there" and the majority of the cast have been signed up.

The sci-fi sequel has been almost airtight when it comes to news and spoilers, which is actually quite nice as we may get to watch the film, divisive as it already is, without having already learnt every last detail of it.

"We're actually shooting some of it now," Horn replied when asked during an interview at an LA school whether filming would begin in May.

This is probably not principal photography however, and there are no signs of any cast-revealing location shoots yet.

As for the screenplay, Horn said "It's actually there now.

"It's all about the screenplay. It has to be screenplay, screenplay, screenplay," he added as reassurance to fans.

The first draft of the screenplay was written by Toy Story 3's Michael Arndt, before Lawrence Kasdan and director J.J. Abrams stepped in to rework it.

Cast-wise, Horn revealed: "We have a lot of them, it's not completely done yet," but was not specific.

Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill are expected to return in some capacity, but the film will focus on new younger protagonists, set 35 years after the events of Return of the Jedi.

That's pretty much all we know for now, bar strong rumours that Girls' Adam Driver will play a Darth Vader-like antagonist and that R2-D2 is back, with Horn echoing Yoda as he told fans: "Patience you must have."