Star Wars: When does Episode IX start filming?

There won’t be much of a drought when it comes to Star Wars information after Solo’s release, since Episode IX will apparently kick off quite soon.

Even though Star Wars: The Last Jedi is still in theaters — and still grossed over $1 million this weekend according to estimates — and Solo: A Star Wars Story is just about three months away now, the production of yet more Star Wars movies hasn’t paused. Per Star Wars News Net, Disney’s D23 Expo Japan came with a confirmation that Star Wars: Episode IX will kick shooting off sooner rather than later.

While SWNN has it that it’ll be this June, the official readout from D23 instead merely indicates that “this summer” will see the beginning of shooting. That’s frustratingly non-specific, but it’s hard not to see why it would be so. After all, presumably Disney and Lucasfilm want attention to be on Solo for at least a month after its release when it comes to Star Wars. (That could even indicate a July start date, depending on how you interpret “a month.”)

Granted, it’s probably not going to work, because Star Wars fans are rabid and will try and catch filming happening. Additionally, it would roughly line up with the production time of a major 2019 blockbuster, Wonder Woman 2, which reportedly starts this June and has a November 2019 release; Episode IX follows in December of next year.

So, what does this mean for Episode IX? Where should fans look to? Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom is never a bad answer. It’s not impossible that Skellig Michael, inspiration for Ahch-To, might see production return there. For example, Rey could return only to find Luke Skywalker gone or otherwise try and gain some new knowledge. Additionally, Dubrovnik, Croatia provided some scenery, and local media there is very good at finding out what’s filming there (it comes with all of the Game of Thrones filming that goes on there).

Next: 4 burning questions for Solo: A Star Wars Story

Culturess will keep an eye on everything you need to know when it comes to Star Wars: Episode IX.