It looks like Godzilla director Gareth Edwards will be stepping away from the giant lizard’s sequel plans for the time being. Lucasfilm announced he has been tapped to direct the first Star Wars stand-alone film which will be written by Gary Whitta (Book of Eli) and released on December 16, 2016.
Disney’s master plan is to have a Star Wars film out every year beginning with Episode VII in 2015. The untitled adventure, which will not directly cross into the highly anticipated sequel trilogy ‘s ongoing story line, is set to hit theaters a year after J.J. Abrams film. Episode VIII is scheduled for 2017, followed by the next spin-off film in 2018, and so forth.
Online speculation regarding the stand-alone films has been rampant since they were first confirmed for production. The most popular theories as to which characters are candidates to be featured point to a young Han Solo, Boba Fett and possibly Yoda according to Entertainment Weekly, and would likely be set before or even in between the existing films in the saga.
One film has been confrimed to be written by Lawrence Kasdan, who penned The Empire Strikes Back and co-wrote Return of the Jedi as well as Episode VII. Simon Kinberg (X-Men:Days of Furtire Past) has also been tapped to write another stand alone film. It look like Gareth Edwards’ project will be the first one out of the starting gate, and remains to be seen if Kasdan and J.J. Abrams will serve as consultants on all things Star Wars.
Here is the official announcement from StarWars.com:
GARETH EDWARDS AND GARY WHITTA ONBOARD FOR STAR WARS STAND ALONE FILM
May 22, 2014
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 and honored to go on this mission with Lucasfilm,” said Edwards.
Gary Whitta’s screenwriting credits include 2010’s 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.”
SOURCE: STAR WARS.com
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