Is Abu Dhabi the new Tatooine in ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’?

Keep those light sabers poised for action as ‘Star Wars’ makes its way to Abu Dhabi to film the next episode in the cult sci-fi installment.

Sources cited by ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ have confirmed that ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ will be filmed in the UAE capital, transforming the locales into the desert planet of Tatooine.

The four-week shoot is expected to commence mid-May.

While no official word has been given by Disney or local production houses in the UAE, Tunisia – which has previously recreated Tatooine landscape – was put on the backburner to make way for Abu Dhabi.

Home of Anakin and Luke Skywalker, Tatooine was wrestled away by the Hutts where Jabba reigned supreme. Also found on the planet were the humanoid scavengers, the Jawas, and the nomadic Tusken Raiders.

Since the first episode released in 1977, the ‘Star Wars’ franchise has garnered over $2.21 billion in global collections, according to Boxofficemojo.com.

The next episode is slated to release on December 18, 2015.

While the cast of the next installment is yet being finalised in the JJ Abrams-led production, the shoot in Abu Dhabi will prove to be yet another high-profile newsmaker after ‘Fast and Furious 7’ has zeroed in on the city to film some action sequences.

Star Vin Diesel already posted on his Facebook page last week that he was en route to Dubai, with stars Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris and Jason Statham also expected.

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