'Star Wars: Episode VII' Rumored for December 2015

There was a great deal of disappointment when Disney failed to reveal any new Star Wars: Episode VII info at their D23 Expo, leaving fans right where they've been all along. When the film was announced, it was pegged for release in 2015, a date confirmed by Disney President Alan Horn.  And the assumption all along has been it would open in the month of May, like all six previous Star Wars films have done. But now a rumor has emerged that suggests Disney is doing something different.

A story at BadassDigest says Disney is breaking the mold and eying a December release for Star Wars 7, somewhere around the middle of the month. The site speculates the date could be pushed as far as Christmas, but the point isn't necessarily the day so much as the season. 2015 is shaping up to be the most crowded year for blockbusters ever, and because opening in the summer has become something of a status symbol for the big studios, every major film is arriving around the same time. We've already seen the negative effect that has had on the tentpole films this past summer, so Disney may be taking the first bold step in changing the paradigm. Peter Jackson doesn't seem to be having any difficulty launching his Lord of the Rings films in December to considerable success. And a little film you may have heard of called Avatar also hit that month. I heard it performed pretty well?

Besides giving JJ Abrams extra time for the post-production process, the move would also allow for Disney to throw one more D23 Expo, which you can bet would be wall-to-wall Star Wars.  Principle photography is set to begin early next year, so expect more concrete news before then.