Preparations for the Star Wars set in Dubrovnik continue.
Preparations are still under way on March 2, 2016, but the filming of Star Wars Episode VIII in Dubrovnik is almost upon us. Stradun looks other-worldly, Darth Vader has been seen parading up and down with his entourage and a number of rather ”special” individuals from the mysterious world of film have arrived. Of course, it doesn’t take long before speculations about which imaginary location Dubrovnik will play start to echo around the city, and indeed beyond it.
According to several sources, it seems Dubrovnik might be the setting for a planet named Naboo, StarWarsPost is one of the most prominent sites to have made this suggestion.
Naboo was featured in episodes 1-3, where it was shot in Italian locations near Naples and the glorious Lake Como, as well as various locations in Seville, Spain. StarWarsPost, an apparent expert on all things related to the film series; make the argument that the type of architecture in all of these medieval locations is very similar to that found in Dubrovnik. They use the stone ”tiles” as one example, and although the ground tiles in Dubrovnik are actually constructed differently, and are much lighter than those found on the cited shooting locations in Spain and Italy, the new pieces of set that we see slowly being put into place on Dubrovnik’s main street (Stradun) might be going for the look of Naboo as seen in the prequels.
Hrvoje Hribar, who is currently the head of the Croatian government backed agency for audio visual arts was quoted by the Dubrovnik Times as saying that ”Dubrovnik is the most beautiful city in Cosmos”. He stated this non-chalantly when talking about the rough costs of filming, and although the statement seems to have been largely bypassed by the media, it could hold the key as to what role is going to be bestowed upon our humble little city.
Naboo is a planet which is described as scenic and bountiful, it is also home to the native ”Gungan species”. In the films, this planet features a variety of aesthetically pleasing landscapes, buildings and architecture. If Dubrovnik really is to play the role of Naboo, what part of the story will unfold here?
Time will tell.
