Bill Keveney

USA TODAY

PASADENA, Calif. -- Star Wars fans can raise their anticipation levels. Director J.J. Abrams said Sunday that he has a completed script for the next film in the popular series and will begin shooting in May in England.

"That's the current plan," Abrams said while stopping by the Television Critics Association winter press tour to discuss Believe, a new NBC drama (March 10, 10 p.m. ET/PT) he is producing with Gravity director Alfonso Cuaron . "We have our script and we're full steam ahead. Have script, will travel."

Abrams, who wrote the script for Star Wars: Episode VII with Lawrence Kasdan (The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi), had no news regarding the story or casting, the latter a topic that has been the subject of numerous rumors.

"We can't talk about story yet," said the director, who plans to travel to England soon to begin work on the seventh film in the long-running saga. As far as casting, he had no details but said they will come "soon, and I look forward to that so that we can get past it and we can get on with it."

Abrams described working on the much-anticipated film as "thrilling. But it's a lot."

In November, Lucasfilm announced that that Episode VII, would open in theaters on Dec. 18, 2015.