That didn’t take long. Godzilla is the big success story of the summer so far, surpassing all expectations during its opening weekend. Now, director Gareth Edwards has lined up his next gig, and it’s arguably the only property bigger than Godzilla himself: Star Wars.
Edwards will direct one of the currently unspecified spinoff films from a script by Gary Whitta (Book of Eli), but what the film will center around remains a mystery. Many recent inside rumors pointed to three spinoffs films revolving around Boba Fett, Yoda or a young Han Solo, but nothing official has materialized as of yet.
“Ever since I saw Star Wars I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life – join the Rebel Alliance!” said Edwards in a statement made through StarWars.com. “I could not be more excited and honored to go on this mission with Lucasfilm.” Read the whole release below.
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 Whittas 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.”
The Gareth Edwards-directed Star Wars spinoff film is slated to be released December 16, 2016.
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