Along with all of the legit reports about where Star Wars: Episode VIII might be filming this year, there have been a slew of false reports making their way around social media, too.
The story getting the most traction claims Cedar Lake, TX will “represent a previously unknown planet in the Star Wars universe.” The story had some residents in Central Texas contacting the local media looking for more details, and hoping to score a role as an extra in the movie.
Another story going around said Star Wars: Episode VIII will be partially filmed in Pueblo, CO, a report debunked by the Denver Post.
Over the last few weeks we’ve also had a couple of our readers ask us about a story going around Facebook that states, “the next Star Wars movie will be filmed just outside of Green Bay, Wisconsin.” Sadly, this story is also false, but it got us wondering how all of these rumors are getting started.
It looks like all of the stories can all be traced back to Daily News 11, a “satire” site that posts fake stories, presumably to cash in on Google rankings and advertising dollars. Sadly, once the stories hit Facebook, they took on a life of their own and had some fans in these areas expecting the movie to roll into their town any day now.
It’s a good reminder to us all to be cautious of a story’s source, especially if it seems too good to be true.
