Much of Star Wars: The Force Awakens success can be traced back to director J.J. Abrams using his mystery box formula to increase the anticipation of the sequel. Throughout that film’s marketing campaign, fans were treated to teasers that didn’t reveal much and some photos that didn’t provide any details. This only heightened the anticipation as fans wanted to know more, studying very single frame of the teaser to find any hints of anything resembling a spoiler. Now, with characters already being established and Rian Johnson at the helm for the currently untitled Episode VIII, we can probably expect something a little different when it comes who what is being shared.

Johnson is already halfway through the production of Star Wars: Episode VIII, and with a couple more weeks left, the filmmaker has been having some fun sharing some production photos. Of course, they are nothing too spoilerly. Check out two set photos here below.

Production began this morning at Pinewood Studios in London on Star Wars: Episode VIII, the sequel to 2015’s record-breaking Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Disney and Lucasfilm released an announcement teaser video, featuring director Rian Johnson, which you can watch here below. They also revealed the first new cast members for the sequel.

More on the story below.

Scheduling changes for films come as no surprise in the industry. As we have seen when Star Wars: The Force Awakens announced that it would open on December 18, 2015, studios rescheduled the release of some of their tentpole films to an earlier or later date. Given the huge box office success that The Force Awakens has become, it makes sense that Disney would want to release more Star Wars films in the month of December.

Originally scheduled for a May 26, 2017 release, it should come as no surprise that the Rian Johnson-directed Star Wars: Episode VIII has now been pushed back to a December 2017 release. Check out what other movies are affected by this change after the jump.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is just weeks away from its highly anticipated release. While we still know very little about the film itself, we know that Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac will all return to reprise their roles as Rey, Finn, and Poe, respectively, in the planned sequels. Director J.J. Abrams recently talked about how he learned from his past mistakes to perfect the script for the new Star Wars film. Also he revealed that the script for Episode VIII has been completed, and talked what what it was like to build a new Star Wars trilogy in a new interview with Wired.

Building that chemistry between between actors and director is one thing that looks like it will consistently change as the franchise grows. So it was key that Abrams found the right people who would be able to work together throughout these changes. Below, you will see what Abrams had to say about casting the film trilogy, especially when he’s only directing the first installment, and helping Rian Johnson (Looper, The Brothers Bloom), who’s taking over for Episode VIII, with his story while staying true to his vision.

There are still three months left until the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but Star Wars: Episode VIII writer and director Rian Johnson is hard at work getting ready to shoot the second chapter in the latest trilogy in Ireland.

Now it isn’t completely surprising to hear that a sequel is being prepped for shooting before its preceding film is even released. However, the news comes off a rumor that Star Wars: The Force Awakens was in Ireland for reshoots. More on this story below.