The first Star Wars spinoff movie will definitely happen, and 'The Theory of Everything' star Felicity Jones will be playing the lead actress role.
According to reports, Jones is close to signing a contract for the upcoming Star Wars spinoff that is set for release in December 2016. She bested actresses Rooney Mara of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Tatiana Maslany of Orphan Black for the role.
Actors Edgar Ramirez and Aaron Paul are reported to be "on the interest list for the male lead."
The script for the spinoff was written by Chris Weitz, and will be directed by Gareth Edwards of 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," Edwards said.
Both Disney and Lucasfilm have not made any comments on the casting news. Details of the plot for the spinoff were not revealed as well.
Disney CEO Bob Iger announced earlier that the franchise will be releasing spinoffs of the highly acclaimed movie which will be shown in between Star Wars VII, VIII and IX episodes. Hence, while Episode VII is still in the works, the team is stepping up their game with the spinoff.
Iger also said that the spinoff was "derived from great Star Wars characters that are not part of the overall saga."
"I can assure the millions of 'Star Wars' fans who have spent the last decade hoping for a new movie, this one will be worth the wait," Iger told investors. "And it's only the beginning of a new era of exceptional 'Star Wars' storytelling."
Star Wars: Episode VII will be in theaters in the summer and the spin-off will be released pre-Star Wars: Episode VIII. Lucasfilm confirmed their plans of releasing a Star Wars movie every year, simply because Star Wars fans can never get enough of it.
Apart from her latest film, "The Theory of Everything," Jones is also known for her role in "The Amazing Spiderman 2" (2014) and "The Invisible Woman" (2013).
