While we all know that the Star Wars franchise will be returning to cinema screens with a brand new trilogy (thanks to Disney buying the rights to the franchise) taking place after the events of Episode VI (Return of the Jedi), and that the first instalment in the new trilogy is going to be helmed by Star Trek director J.J. Abrams, but what we didn’t know until now, was that Rian Johnson will direct Star Wars: Episode VIII.
A rather out-of-the-box choice, but an undeniably intriguing one, Johnson’s best known for writing and directing the excellent sci-fi Looper (and directing several episodes of Breaking Bad), and will be both writing and directing Stars Wars: Episode VIII, and Episode IX, according to recent reports.
With an ever growing cast, J.J. Abrams’ Episode VII is due to star John Boyega (Attack The Block), Adam Driver (Lincoln), relative unknown Daisy Ridley, Domhnall Gleeson (Dredd), Lupita Nyong’o (Non-Stop), Gwendoline Christie (Game Of Thrones), Oscar Isaac (Robin Hood), Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), and Max Von Sydow (Shutter Island), alongside series veterans Harrison Ford (who’ll be back at work in a few weeks, after his broken leg heals), Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, and Kenny Baker when it’s released on December 18th 2015 in both the US and UK.
Matt Wheeldon – @TheMattWheeldon.
Source: Deadline.
