Star Wars Episode 7 news, rumors, cast updates: It's a no from Zachary Quinto; filming to start January 2014?

Star Wars fans are eagerly awaiting news on who will be starring in Episode 7 but one actor who can be ruled out from the line-up is Zachary Quinto.

The Star Trek: Into the Darkness actor was at the recent Fan Expo Canada show where he said he didn't think he would be asked by director JJ Abrams to have a role in Star Wars Episode 7.  

It seems like Quinto doesn't want to upset any Star Trek fans with what might be construed as disloyalty to that franchise.  

According to Comicbook.com, Quinto said: "I think that I would be attacked if I turned up in the Star Wars franchise.

"I was just with [JJ Abrams] for an extended time in Japan; I imagine if he had any inklings toward that, he would have probably floated out. And I don't think I could do it, I really don't. And I don't think I would do it."

He continued: "I don't think he would be interested in cross-pollinating in that way. We're going to be shooting our third movie probably – also don't quote me on this – sometime next year, so I imagine there would be some overlay and I wouldn't be able to do both anyway."

Disney is rumored to be scheduling the film for a December 2015 release.  Names linked to the cast include Star Wars originals Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford.  

Anthony Daniels, Ian McDiarmid and Ewan McGregor are also believed to be in contention for roles.  

Latino Review reports that pre-production is underway at the Pinewood Studios just outside London, and that filming will start on January 21, 2014.

The film's finish is expected to be much closer to the original trilogy after Abrams and Star Wars: Episode 7 cinematographer Dan Mindel revealed the next instalment would be shot on 35mm film rather than digitally.  

Last month, LucasFilm's Kathleen Kennedy was at the Star Wars Celebration convention in Germany where she said the conversation for the makers  of Episode 7 "all the time" was about "how much CGI".

"We're looking at what the early Star Wars films did.  They used real locations with special effects.  So we're going to find some very cool locations, we're going to end up using every single tool in the toolbox," she said.  

Abrams admitted at the Produced By conference that he was not sure if filming digitally would achieve the same quality of finish.

 "I have not yet shot a movie digitally. Film is the thing I am most comfortable with," he said. "If film were to go away - and digital is challenging it - then the standard for the highest, best quality would go away."