We only recently received news of who’ll be starring in the upcoming Star Wars Episode VII. Since then, we’ve gotten a steady in flux of information, from the start of production to yesterday’s announcement of the Star Wars: Force for Change initiative. When Disney bought Lucasfilm, they announced their intentions to release annual Star Wars films following Episode VII‘s release. Disney has further cemented their annual film regimen by confirming the existence of at least three spin-off films to follow Episode VII. While speculation over what the films will cover is still out with no plot information, Disney and Lucasfilm announced the creative duo for the first planned spin-off film coming in 2016. Godzilla director Gareth Edwards and The Book of Eli screenwriter Gary Whitta will be teaming together for the first post-Episode VII spin-off with an already set target date of December 16, 2016. You can read the announcement below.
In addition to the episodes of a new Star Wars trilogy, Lucasfilm and Disney have begun development on multiple stand-alone movies that will offer new stories beyond the core Saga. Gareth Edwards will direct the first stand-alone film, with a screenplay by Gary Whitta. The film is due out December 16, 2016.
Gareth Edwards blazed into the filmmaking forefront with his acclaimed work on Monsters, a film he wrote, directed and served on as cinematographer and visual effects artist. The skill and vision readily apparent in Monsters earned him the high-profile spot directing this year’s smash hit Godzilla.
“Ever since I saw Star Wars I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life – join the Rebel Alliance! I could not be more excited & honored to go on this mission with Lucasfilm, said Edwards.
Gary Whittas screenwriting credits include 2010s The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington. He is also well known as a journalist and editor in the video game industry, as well as part of the BAFTA award-winning team on Telltale Games adaptation of The Walking Dead.
Whitta states, “From the moment I first saw the original movie as a wide-eyed kid, Star Wars has been the single most profound inspiration to my imagination and to my career as a writer. It is deeply special to me,so to be given the opportunity to contribute to its ongoing legacy, especially in collaboration with a film-maker as talented as Gareth,is literally a dream come true. I’m still pinching myself.”
[via /Film]