By Though the release date of Rian Johnson’s Star Wars Episode VIII has been pushed back several months, Disney has announced that production is now under way. They did so with a brief video, which seems to pick up where Star Wars: The Force Awakens left off.
Give the announcement video a look below.
The footage above was likely shot in September 2015. Johnson did some production pre-shoots out on Skellig Michael in Ireland before inclement weather set in.
In addition to the video, the principle cast for the movie has been made public, which notably now includes Laura Dern and Benicio Del Toro. Here’s the official announcement:
Rey took her first steps into a larger world in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and will continue her epic journey with Finn, Poe, and Luke Skywalker in the next chapter of the continuing Star Wars saga, Star Wars: Episode VIII, which began principal photography at Pinewood Studios in London on February 15, 2016.
Star Wars: Episode VIII, which is written and directed by Rian Johnson and continues the storylines introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, welcomes back cast members Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, and Andy Serkis. New cast members will include Academy Award winner Benicio Del Toro, Academy Award nominee Laura Dern, and talented newcomer Kelly Marie Tran.
Star Wars Episode VIII comes out in December 15, 2017 (for now).
[via /Film, The Mary Sue]