Godzilla director Gareth Edwards is confirmed to direct the first stand-alone Star Wars movie as just announced by Lucasfilm. Lucasfilm and Disney are working on films that work outside the “core Saga,” with Edwards tapped to helm the first project from a script by Gary Whitta (The Book of Eli).
The untitled first Star Wars stand-alone movie will open on December 16, 2016.
It was Edwards’ work on the low-budget critically acclaimed thriller Monsters which led to the gig directing Godzilla for Warner Bros Pictures and Legendary Pictures. Reviving the Godzilla franchise with a movie accepted by fans of the gigantic creature then led to the coveted job of tackling the first Star Wars film outside of the Star Wars Saga.
“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.
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.”
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