The first Star Wars set photos have leaked online and are doing a pretty decent job of sending fans into a frenzy whilst simultaneously leaving them downright confused. The pesky guys at TMZ.com have gotten their hands on 45 shots from the Abu Dhabi set, which is doubling as the desert planet Tatooine - from where Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker hail.

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Most notably among the new photos is a weird looking create that looks like a pig/rhinoceros hybrid. The gossip website claims it was manoeuvred by five men inside the belly, which pretty much confirms that J.J Abrams intends to use less CG in the new movies and instead rely on practical effects from the original trilogy, as was previously reported. That should delight the true die-hard fans, who still snigger at the mention of the frankly terrible prequels that served only to remind viewers how good the originals were. 

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Though none of the lead stars appear in the photos, several actors appear in Jedi-like robes. The movie sees original stars Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill lining up alongside  Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver and Andy Serkis, from the Lord of the Rings movies. Star Trek filmmaker J.J. Abrams has also co-written the script.

Star Wars: Episode VII is set for release on December 18, 2015.