Release dates announced for next Star Wars films

A short time from now, at a theatre hopefully not far away, the Star Wars movie franchise is set to continue.

Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger announced at a shareholder meeting in San Francisco Thursday that the first standalone film in the Star Wars universe not only has a release date, but a title and star. On December 16, 2016, Rogue One will fly into theatres with Felicity Jones in the starring role. The film will begin shooting this summer in London with Gareth Edwards, who recently directed the remake of Godzilla, directing.

Jones became a household name during awards season for her stirring portrayal of Jane Hawking in the film The Theory of Everything. She also appeared in last year’s Amazing Spider-Man 2 as Felicia Hardy.

The second film in the Star Wars trilogy, which begins December 18 with the release of The Force Unleashed, will hit the big screen on May 26, 2017. The date is 40 years and a day from the original release date of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, which served as our first introduction to the Star Wars universe. Rian Johnson has signed on to both write and direct Episode VIII.