Star Wars: Episode VII Finally Has a Release Date

This is the film you've been looking for

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Jedi, smugglers and wookies of the world, rejoice — Star Wars: Episode VII finally has an official release date: December 18, 2015, just in time for the holiday season.

“We’re very excited to share the official 2015 release date for Star Wars: Episode VII, where it will not only anchor the popular holiday filmgoing season but also ensure our extraordinary filmmaking team has the time needed to deliver a sensational picture,” said Alan Horn, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, in a statement posted Thursday on StarWars.com.

Episode VII underwent a screenwriter switch-up last month, with the film’s director J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan taking over for original writer Michael Arndt, most well-known for his work on Toy Story 3 and Little Miss Sunshine. Abrams told Deadline that the 2015 completion deadline had a role in the swap.

“It became clear that given the time frame and given the process and the way the thing was going that working with Larry in this way was going to get us where we need to be and when we needed to be,” Abrams told Deadline.

Shooting for the highly anticipated film, which takes place after the events of 1983’s Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, is set to begin in the Spring of 2014.