Star Wars Episode VIII has just been given a release date.
Walt Disney Pictures and Lucasfilm announced that Star Wars Episode VIII is scheduled to hit theatres on May 26, 2017, more than a year after Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens makes its premiere.
As earlier revealed, Rian Johnson, the writer and director of Noir Brick and the time-travel action thriller Looper will be directing Episode VIII, according to Screen Rant, although his movie does not have a subtitle yet.
As for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, it will be Director J.J. Abrams who will be lending his creative genius to the film.
There will be several spin-offs created in line with the new and revamped Star Wars franchise, and it will be handled by director Gareth Edwards (Godzilla 2014). The spin-offs will focus on characters who are not part of the central Star Wars storyline, and the first film already has an official title - Star Wars: Rogue One.
There will be a lot of new characters introduced in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, such as Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), and Poe (Oscar Isaac). There is a huge possibility that these fresh new faces will continue their story in Episode VIII.
As for the original characters, it is not certain whether or not Luke (Mark Hamill), Leia (Carrie Fisher), and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) will live to see through Episode VIII, since there are rumors prevailing that one of the main characters will die.
Hamill also explained that Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens is all geared up to introduce a new generation of heroes and villains, as well as characters who simply fall in between the two categories.
Moreover, the new movie will be set 30 years after Emperor Palpatine in Episode VI - Return of the Jedi dies, so the new characters just might be the son or daughter of Han Solo and Leia, or even Luke.
The May 26, 2017 release date has earlier been slated for LEGO Batman, but with their new announcement, it is certain that the animated film will change its release date soon. The date bears a lot of significance for the franchise since it will be exactly 40 years and a day since George Lucas released the original Star Wars movie in 1977, known by most today as Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.
