J.J. the Redeemer won't be directing this? I am apprehensive about this change in directors.


Sweet! Who wants to see a Star Wars movie in fucking May, anyways?

I can't say I'm familiar w/ Trevorrow's work. I wonder if David Lynch or David Cronenberg would be interested in directing the ninth installment.

This delay will maximize profit for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, give us another awesome present from Darth Santa, and bring us one step closer to the Star Wars Holiday Special II. LOLOLOL!!!! XD

Due to Kenny Baker's declining health, the mantle of R2-D2 shall pass onto Doctor Who actor, Jimmy Vee.

Source: makingstarwars.net/2015/09/little-actor-jimmy-vee-is-artoo-detoo-in-star-wars-episode-viii/

They want a Star Wars film every year and a main entry every two. It makes sense in that they have different people writing the story as opposed to just one (Lucas) and each entry has a different director. Disney doesn't want to wait to milk the cow bantha that is Star Wars for all it is worth.

Filming has Officially begun!

A cast list can be found here: www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-episode-viii-now-filming

Lots of obvious characters are returning, most introduced in 7. "New cast members will include Academy Award winner Benicio Del Toro, Academy Award nominee Laura Dern, and talented newcomer Kelly Marie Tran".

Laura Dern .. hmm ... Mrs. Skywalker-Rey? By any chance? Then her role might be fairly limited though, to flashback-visions...unless ... Rey's mom is actually alive and was the very reason why Rey got hidden away? Not BY her mother, but FROM her mother, because she is a Knight of Ren? Coud I vision her with reddish hair to be like ... hmmm...



Benicio del Toro - so, apply some blue pain? Red eyes? Yeah, I could totally see that work. Would be cool (though unlikely, but fanservice at its best, and a bit of change to the usual bony-white-male-centric imperial officer-staff). I would really like it. A Thrawn in charge of the remnant Empire, at odds with the offshot-fanatics from the Order, actually despising them and Snoke and Hux, but at the same time bound to them by fate. Could give teh imperial viewpoint some interesting chenistry...again, unlikely (if only to deny tomothy Zahn any royalties ^^), he probably ends up playing soem generic imperial commander or a Knight of Ren (all better than a crossover with Guardians of the Galaxy is made :-0 )




And the newcomer on board, Kelly Marie Tran? Now the pics I viewd don't really scream "STAR WARS" now I have to admit...and she'll probably end up on the ligh-side as some kind of female co-star while Rey is missing and being trained, to balance-off to Poe and Finn. My bet is some kind of ship-mechanic, or based on the pics above someone a bit goofy/funny/clumsy?

Or something entirely different of course ... ^^ Harder to imagine though ...

People are actually saying that ep. 8 will pick up on the island where Luke has been in self-imposed exile for a decade, immediately after Rey arrives.

No.

Two reasons this was the scene in the "production announcement":

- It was the last scene in ep. 7, so it is fresh in people's minds. (They will NOT show any actual footage from ep.8 until the teaser in ~ 12 months)

- Luke & Rey will be featured in the 1st act of ep. 8, but it will be a year or two after her arrival. None of the other 7 saga films have had zero time lapse in between episodes. This one will be no different.