Star Wars Episode 7: Top Five Predictions For 2013

We've done a number of predictions on movies that will be released in 2013, such as Iron Man 3, Man of Steel, The Wolverine, and Thor: The Dark World. Even though Star Wars Episode 7 will not be released until 2015, it will undoubtedly be one of the most talked about movies of 2013. While little is officially known right now beyond that Michael Arndt has been hired to write the script, more major details should start to be released or leak out in 2013. Here are our top five predictions for Star Wars Episode 7 in 2013. 5. Disney Will Announce The Star Wars Episode 7 Director In January – Ok, this is an easy one. Kathleen Kennedy has already revealed that Star Wars Episode 7 will go into pre-production in Spring 2013, so there pretty much has to be a director named by then. Kennedy has also hinted at another announcement coming in January. In order to make things a little more challenging, we're going to also predict that director will be Matthew Vaughn. He's the only serious contender who hasn't flat out denied involvement in the project. 4. Most Of The Original Star Wars Cast Will Return – We think Michael Arndt was hired to write the Star Wars Episode 7 script for a reason. With Toy Story 3, Michael Arndt wrote a script that played on the nostalgic feeling of saying goodbye to old friends (toys). We predict that is what Disney is looking for in Star Wars Episode 7. They want to bring the old cast back one more time, because they know millions of people have nostalgic feelings for the old cast. All the main cast members like Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher will sign on to return. 3. Star Wars Release Date Will Be Announced – While all Disney has officially revealed so far is that they plan to release Star Wars Episode 7 in 2015, they will likely want to announce their claim to a specific date very soon. Our prediction is that date will be sometime in July of 2015, because Disney will want to avoid cutting into the theater count of their other big blockbuster Avengers 2 in May and June. 2. Some Of The Second Trilogy Cast Will Return – While we predict the majority of the cast will consist of the original Star Wars cast and some brand new cast members, we also think Disney will incorporate a couple members from the cast of the second trilogy. Both Ewan McGregor and Samuel L. Jackson have expressed interest in returning, so they or others could play small roles in flashback scenes. 1. $300 Million Budget Revealed – Disney spent a lot of money to acquire Lucasfilm, so they will not spare any expense in relaunching the franchise with Star Wars Episode 7. Disney looks at Star Wars as more than just a movie, but also as a vehicle to drive traffic to their theme parks and drive merchandise sales. Disney will be willing to spend the big bucks upfront on the new Star Wars movie, because they know they will make plenty on the backend. We predict Star Wars Episode 7 will have a $300 million plus budget.