Marvel Studios sent out a press release earlier today announcing that principal photography on Guardians of the Galaxy is now underway at UK’s Shepperton Studios.
Those of you who follow Comic-Con know that production began almost two weeks ago as footage from the first days of shooting was screened during Marvel’s panel in Hall H. Today’s announcement serves more as a formality and solidification of the cast list. Be sure not to miss the Guardians of the Galaxy production concept art that Comic-Con delivered.
Here’s the Guardians of the Galaxy principal photography announcement:
BURBANK, CALIF. (July 23, 2013) – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” the next epic adventure from Marvel Studios has started shooting at the UK’s Shepperton Studios. Directed by James Gunn (“Slither,””Super”) from his screenplay, with a story by Nicole Perlman and Gunn, the film will introduce audiences to a whole new side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The all-star cast includes Chris Pratt (“Zero Dark Thirty”, “Moneyball”) as Peter Quill aka Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana (“Star Trek Into Darkness”, “Avatar”) as Gamora, Dave Bautista (“Riddick”) as Drax the Destroyer, Lee Pace (“The Hobbit,” “Lincoln”) as Ronan the Accuser, Michael Rooker (AMC’s “The Walking Dead”) as Yondu, Karen Gillan (BBC TV’s “Doctor Who”) as Nebula, two-time Academy Award nominee Djimon Hounsou (“Amistad”, “Gladiator”) as Korath, with Academy Award winner Benicio del Toro (“Traffic”) as The Collector, Academy Award nominee John C. Reilly (“Chicago”) as Rhomann Dey, and six-time Academy Award nominee Glenn Close (“Albert Nobbs,” “Fatal Attraction”) as Nova Prime. Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” is slated for an August 1, 2014 release in the U.S.
Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige is producing the film. The executive producers are Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Alan Fine and Stan Lee; the co-producer is Nik Korda.
The creative team includes director of photography Ben Davis, BSC (“Wrath of the Titans”, “Kick-Ass”), production designer Charles Wood (“Thor: The Dark World”), BAFTA-nominated Editor Fred Raskin (“Django Unchained,” “Fast Five”) and Academy Award-winning editor Hughes Winborne, A.C.E. (“The Help,” “Crash”), and Academy Award-winning costume designer Alexandra Byrne (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” “Elizabeth The Golden Age”). The film will also shoot at Longcross Studios, and locations in and around London.
Noticeably absent from the announcement is Vin Diesel. The Fast & Furious star has publicly stated that he has met with Marvel about a role in the cinematic universe, and an announcement could be coming later this month. The prevailing theory is that Diesel will play Thanos, the villain teased at the end of The Avengers and who was confirmed at Comic-Con to appear in Guardians of the Galaxy as a link to The Avengers: Age of Ultron.
