This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-29144135
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 3 | Version 4 |
---|---|
Star Wars surprise: Millennium Falcon and X-Wing pictured | Star Wars surprise: Millennium Falcon and X-Wing pictured |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A man who was taking publicity shots for a flying school returned home to find he had captured images of spacecraft from the new Star Wars film. | |
Matthew Myatt originally thought his pictures of the Millennium Falcon and an X-Wing fighter were experimental aircraft at Greenham Common, Berkshire. | Matthew Myatt originally thought his pictures of the Millennium Falcon and an X-Wing fighter were experimental aircraft at Greenham Common, Berkshire. |
He said: "It wasn't too clear until I viewed the picture and then realised what it was. I grew up with Star Wars so I started jumping around." | He said: "It wasn't too clear until I viewed the picture and then realised what it was. I grew up with Star Wars so I started jumping around." |
Episode VII is being filmed in the UK. | Episode VII is being filmed in the UK. |
'Falcon paint job' | |
The images sparked excitement among Star Wars fans on the internet. | |
Dolphin558 wrote on www.theforce.net: "Wow. I had heard the Millennium Falcon would be in Episode VII but it looks like X-Wings will make an appearance as well." | |
Jacklyn Thrapp tweeted: "That is amazing." Char10tti3 tweeted: "At least it's not all CGI." | |
Another fan, @ACQUlESCE, added: "Looks like the falcon got a paint job." | |
Tom Cronin wrote: "Who'd've guessed filmmakers still build physical models?" | |
The picture, taken above Greenham Common, a former RAF airbase, appears to show a partly-built Millennium Falcon, Han Solo's beloved spaceship. | |
Also visible is an X-Wing fighter, although it is mostly covered from view. | |
Mr Myatt, who works at Airbourne Aviation flying club as a simulations engineer, was photographing one plane from another during a flight from the school's base at Popham Airfield, Micheldever, in Hampshire. | Mr Myatt, who works at Airbourne Aviation flying club as a simulations engineer, was photographing one plane from another during a flight from the school's base at Popham Airfield, Micheldever, in Hampshire. |
He said: "I didn't know it was there, and we flew down and did some orbits. It was based around the old cruise missile silo. | He said: "I didn't know it was there, and we flew down and did some orbits. It was based around the old cruise missile silo. |
"It wasn't until I got back last night and started going through the images that it just jumped out at me. | "It wasn't until I got back last night and started going through the images that it just jumped out at me. |
"I was quite stunned. It was like, 'wow'. That's how the picture came about, purely by luck. | "I was quite stunned. It was like, 'wow'. That's how the picture came about, purely by luck. |
"I had to go and grab my son who's a big Star Wars fan and get him to come and look at the picture and pinch me and make sure I'd seen what I'd seen. | "I had to go and grab my son who's a big Star Wars fan and get him to come and look at the picture and pinch me and make sure I'd seen what I'd seen. |
"It was one of those unbelievable moments." | "It was one of those unbelievable moments." |
Disney, which owns Lucasfilm, the company behind the Star Wars films, declined to comment on the pictures. | Disney, which owns Lucasfilm, the company behind the Star Wars films, declined to comment on the pictures. |
Jordan Farley, writer for SFX magazine, said the airbase was a possible filming location "because it's a big open space and they're going to need a lot of space". | Jordan Farley, writer for SFX magazine, said the airbase was a possible filming location "because it's a big open space and they're going to need a lot of space". |
And the Falcon's "half" appearance can be put down to modern filming techniques, he explained. | And the Falcon's "half" appearance can be put down to modern filming techniques, he explained. |
"They may be planning to shoot from one side and have a practical model, and extend it with computer graphics, because it's incredibly expensive to build a prop of this size." | "They may be planning to shoot from one side and have a practical model, and extend it with computer graphics, because it's incredibly expensive to build a prop of this size." |
As well as filming at Pinewood Studios since May, parts of Episode VII have also been shot in Abu Dhabi and on Skellig Michael, Ireland. | As well as filming at Pinewood Studios since May, parts of Episode VII have also been shot in Abu Dhabi and on Skellig Michael, Ireland. |
The film will see the return of the three principal characters from the original trilogy - Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford). | The film will see the return of the three principal characters from the original trilogy - Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford). |
Ford broke his leg on set in June while filming a scene involving a door on the Falcon, causing a delay in shooting. | Ford broke his leg on set in June while filming a scene involving a door on the Falcon, causing a delay in shooting. |
The movie is due in cinemas in December 2015. | The movie is due in cinemas in December 2015. |