PHOTOS: 'Star Wars Episode VII' Set Photos Leak, New Creatures

Filming on Star Wars: Episode VII began several weeks ago in Abu Dhabi, the area taking over for Tunisia as the desert planet of Tatooine. However, while filming has only just started, set photos have already begun to leak. But, in an encouraging reveal, this new film trilogy is taking the series back to its roots with the use of real sets and practical effects, discarding the overreliance on CGI and greenscreen effects.

In these leaked set photos, obtained and released by TMZ, we can see some of the new creatures to be featured in Star Wars: Episode VII. In one image, we see a new alien that is manned by five men inside its belly. It's a wonderfully complex-looking creature, and it has me feeling really optimistic about the direction of this new trilogy, which looks to be restoring that lived-in feel to the Star Wars Universe. Check out select photos below, and view the full library of 45 images at TMZ: