ST Official Cast and Crew of Episode VIII Announced

Interesting to see there's no mention of Harrison Ford or Max Von Sydow (obviously) but it seems Peter Mayhew isn't returning either. He seemed to have a hard time in his public appearences so it's no surprise he won't be able to return.

Also, Benicio Del Toro. Badass. Here's hoping his character is better than the lame Collector in Guardians of the Galaxy.


Star Wars: Episode VIII, which is written and directed by Rian Johnson and continues the storylines introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, welcomes back cast members Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley,John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, andAndy Serkis. New cast members will include Academy Award winner Benicio Del Toro, Academy Award nomineeLaura Dern, and talented newcomer Kelly Marie Tran.

 

Full announcement HERE


Rey took her first steps into a larger world in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and will continue her epic journey with Finn, Poe, and Luke Skywalker in the next chapter of the continuing Star Wars saga, Star Wars: Episode VIII, which began principal photography at Pinewood Studios in London on February 15, 2016.

Star Wars: Episode VIII, which is written and directed by Rian Johnson and continues the storylines introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, welcomes back cast members Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, and Andy Serkis. New cast members will include Academy Award winner Benicio Del Toro, Academy Award nominee Laura Dern, and talented newcomer Kelly Marie Tran.

Star Wars: Episode VIII is produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman and executive produced by J.J. Abrams, Jason McGatlin, and Tom Karnowski. Joining the production crew will be some of the industry’s top talent, including Steve Yedlin (Director of Photography), Bob Ducsay (Editor), Rick Heinrichs (Production Designer), Peter Swords King (Hair and Make-Up Designer), and Mary Vernieu (US Casting Director). They will be joining returning crew members Pippa Anderson (Co-Producer, VP Post Production), Neal Scanlan (Creature & Droid FX Creative Supervisor), Michael Kaplan (Costume Designer), Jamie Wilkinson (Prop Master), Chris Corbould (SFX Supervisor), Rob Inch (Stunt Coordinator), Ben Morris (VFX Supervisor), and Nina Gold (UK Casting Director).

Star Wars: Episode VIII is scheduled for release December 15, 2017.


Edit: Updated thread title and tagged as Official

 

EHT No Lando

 

Peter Mayhew was also inexplicably not mentioned.

 

No official Lando. Right?

Right?

 

Billy Dee's acting skills are beautiful. He truly belongs with the cast of Episode VIII in the City of the Clouds.

 

Mark Hamill gets top billing !

 

He was hospitalized with pneumonia last month. I hope not, but maybe his health is "iffy". The was full intention of his returning.

 

I can understand no Peter Mayhew if he's too frail to play the part, but you'd think they'd have the name of the guy that played more of the physical parts in the cast.

I'm not sure how you write Chewie out of the saga since he's right there on Atch-to at the end. It's seems that if Chewie leaves he should have some closure... Like someone should say goodbye to him.

I was thinking that a battle on Kashyyk at the end of episode VIII would be a nice way into seguing Chewie's retirement. But it's still hard to see how you write Chewie out so quickly. Maybe the First Order attack Atch-to and Chewie dies in that battle...... I can see it - the First Order attacks, Chewie pilots the falcon while Luke and Rey frantically try to get his old x-wing up and running. Chewie sacrifices the Falcon, himself, and R2 in order to allow Luke and Rey to escape and it's all done in the first act of the movie.

 

I'm glad that Maz is confirmed. I'm interested in seeing more of her character and how she got ahold of the Skywalker lightsaber.

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Lando won't get any more than a cameo (maybe a scene or two) so I'd be surprised if they announced his involvement... Same with Ewan Mcgregor.

As far as Peter Mayhew is concerned, I did think that with TFA being Han Solo's "swan song" it might also be Chewie's as well... He might be back for a cameo or they might just say he's back on Kashyyyk (his life debt was to Solo and that ended with Solo's death so nothing for him to stick around for really)

 

It's going to be pretty interesting to see why exactly they brought her character back. Her connection to the story was Han Solo, but now he's dead. And Luke has taken over the role of introducing Rey to the force, so what is Maz's purpose? I think she could be a mentor to Finn in which we find out he's Force Sensitive in VIII.

 

Top three reasons I am looking forward to Episode VIII:

1. Rian Johnson
2. Rian Johnson
3. Rian Johnson

Cannot wait to see what this dude can do with a Star Wars flick in his hands. Just hope Disney does not push him down the path of TFA which made sure to stay in the box and check off the items it needed to. I want to see a movie like TESB when it first came off. One that honks quite a few people as it tries to be more then a great popcorn flick.

 

However, I do have to say I don't think JJ and co were influenced by Disney pushing them in the slightest, it's highly documented that JJ worshiped ANH while filming TFA and in a lot of ways wanted the film to be a homage to it. I appreciate what he was going for, but I agree that I hope the film challenges the standard Star Wars status-quo more.

 

No Hayden Christensen. :\ But I guess if he is going to appear they wouldn't announce it with this.

 

TFA is an homage to all three OT films, not just ANH. Now that Lucasfilm got that out of its system (very successfully and satisfyingly, IMO) there's no doubt in my mind that the ST will be charting new territory.

ETA: This obviously isn't the full cast list, folks. Stay tuned for more.

 

I think that is a big reason I think JJ got the part to begin with. Disney and KK saw what JJ did with Star Trek and knew he do the same thing with SW. There wasn't any influence to be needed though I do think Disney encourage the nostalgia for nostalgia at certain turns of TFA.

I said this before and I do not mean this as a knock at JJ. He is a craftsman when it comes to filmmaking and he is very good one at that. Look at his body and see that pretty much all of them are well crafted, well liked movies. But I do think JJ lacks in the visionary department. JJ likes to skim the surface and hit a bunch of points almost in a drive by way and stay within the box hitting all the beats. I like that style of filmmaking but I don't love it hence why I just liked TFA, I did not love no matter how hard i tried to force myself to do so. Rian though is the type of visionary filmmaker that can make something that truly one can get engross with and is totally off the beaten path...even if it honks some people off much again like Empire did.

 

Oh I know. But I do think ANH was the primary influence for sure. And I agree with everything you said, I'm one of the ones who appreciate what JJ and Kasdan did with the one foot forward and one foot back mantra, as I think it worked in terms of business and getting people in the theater, and also thematically with the film's themes of letting go of the past but not dismissing it.

But I also hope Johnson really goes out there with VIII in terms of story and designs while still keeping it rooted in Star Wars.

JJ does like to do that, and even though I loved TFA, I don't think I want another tackle at what he did. Johnson is such a talented visionary and film maker, I can't wait to see what he does with the film. I'm hoping for crazy Force visions and a crazy narrative.

 

As long as there's no time travel in it, I'm down for whatever Johnson dishes out.

 

JJ had time travel in his movies as well, so yes, let's hope no time travel in Star Wars.

 

I honestly didn't see much homage to ROTJ or even references in TFA. A few here and there but it really was homage to ANH/TESB. It doesn't even acknowledge that Luke has a new lightsaber (when he became his own man) and instead just focuses on the Bespin saber.

But honestly? That is in the past. I know it sounds crazy but I really over TFA. Im totally focus on Rogue One and Episode VIII.

 

I agree. I think announcing any of the actors who would play a ghost would be too much of a spoiler.

 

The entire 3rd act of TFA, which combines a small-scale ground assault (complete with explosive charges) designed to lower the planetary shields, with an intimate mano-a-mano fight between force users, and an aerial assault on a giant spherical superweapon, is certainly more than a little reminiscent of ROTJ.