'Star Wars Episode VIII' Release Date: Premiere Set for May 26, 2017; Spin-Off 'Rogue One' Announced
Disney Studios recently made two big announcements about "Star Wars." During a shareholders meeting in California, Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger announced that "Star Wars VIII" will be released on May 26, 2017 and that the first "Star Wars" spin-off movie will be called "Rogue One."
"Star Wars VIII," according to a report in The Verge, will be released exactly 40 years and one day after the first "Stars Wars" movie "A New Hope" came out in 1977. Disney also confirmed earlier rumors that Rian Johnson will write and direct the upcoming sequel. Reports earlier said that Johnson was reportedly doing not just one, but two "Star Wars" films.
Johnson, as reports would have it, is said to be a good choice for director. According to the Business Insider, he is considered to be one of the more promising young directors in the industry. He first made his name at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, directing the feature film starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt called "Brick". It won the "Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision." He has also worked with big stars such Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel Weisz in the film "The Brothers Bloom."
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It was his 2012 sci-fi film "Looper" solidified his reputation in the science fiction genre. The movie showed his capacity for world-building and creative use of CGI to make beautiful imagery.
"The film has elements that proves he's capable of taking on 'Star Wars,'" Business Insider reported.
No plot details or casting rumors have surfaced yet. The sequel comes after "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," which is due in theaters Dec. 18, 2015.
As for the first stand-alone movie "Rogue One," Disney has confirmed that Gareth Edwards ("Godzilla") will direct the film, while Chris Weitz ("Antz" and "The Golden Compass") will pen the screenplay. Felicity Jones of "The Theory of Everything" is the only confirmed casting for the spin-off. The movie will open on Dec. 16, 2016.
