It’s not often you get Star Wars information from an Irish politician, but this is the way the world works right now. So word arrives that** **Episode VIII**, which has Rian Johnson writing and directing, will be shooting some scenes on Skellig Michael, off the coast of Ireland.
The move follows work by J.J. Abrams and the Force Awakens team, who shot there briefly last summer. According to RTE, Johnson and his crew are scheduled to film for just a couple of days this month, though there has been no start-of-shoot announcement by Disney or Lucasfilm about the plan. The latter company, however, did respond to Entertainment Weekly to clear up earlier reports that it would be the Force Awakens production working on additional photography.
“Skellig Michael is one of our most dramatic and beautiful islands and it is very easy to understand why its stunning scenery has caught the attention of the makers of one of the world's biggest film franchises," said Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys in a statement. "The return of Star Wars to Sceilg Mhichil is another win for Ireland and the Irish film industry, which is a growing and dynamic sector of our economy."
Because of the protected nature of the island – it’s home to both a site of archaeological interest and several species of endangered birds – an ecologist and observers from the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the National Monuments Service will monitor filming. So even BB-8 should feel safe.
As for what Johnson and his team will be shooting? That’s naturally still a secret and Lucasfilm would probably have wished to keep the news off the radar. The film itself will be out here on May 26, 2017.