The production team of the upcoming "Star Wars Episode VIII" have released the first stills from the set of the film. Based on the images, fans of the franchise will get to see both new and familiar elements in the next installment of the series.

The first photo taken from the set of "Episode VIII" was posted by director Rian Johnson on his Tumblr account. The image shows cinematographer Steve Yedlin standing in front of a huge prop which appears to be a section of the Millennium Falcon.

According to Johnson, the image was taken as the crew were wrapping up the fourth week of production for the film.

But aside from the director's photo, Coming Soon also released a ton of new images from the set of "Episode VIII" in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Based on the images, the upcoming film will feature new alien characters. But, some of the stills also show a familiar-looking landspeeder cruising the streets.

So far, it is not yet clear how the story of "Star Wars: Episode VIII" will unfold. Of course, it will be chronologically set after "The Force Awakens" but as speculated by Cinemablend, Johnson might follow the usual pattern in previous "Star Wars" films.

This could mean that "Episode VIII" may not take place directly after "The Force Awakens." Instead, according to the site, it might jump ahead to a specific period in the future.

But, despite this, the film will probably still cover important plot points that were introduced in its prequel. For instance, the last film left off with Rey finding Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill. This means in the next film, Daisy Ridley's character might be portrayed as an already skilled student of the Jedi.

"Episode VIII" could also provide a bit of a backstory for John Boyega's Finn character. Specifically, it could explain why he decided to betray the First Order or how he was recruited and trained as a Stormtrooper.

"Star Wars Episode VIII" is scheduled to hit theaters on Dec. 15, 2017. Aside from the actors mentioned above, the upcoming film will also feature the return of Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhall Gleeson, Andy Serkis and Gwendoline Christie.

As for the film's new cast members, these include Laura Dern, Kelly Marie Tran and Benicio del Toro.