“Godzilla” director Gareth Edwards is joining the “Star Wars” Galaxy.
On Thursday it was announced that the Brit will direct the first standalone film that goes beyond the core Saga in the franchise. Gary Whitta will write the screenplay.
“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 in a statement on StarWars.com.
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Whitta, who wrote 2010’s “The Book of Eli,” which starred Denzel Washington and Mila Kunis, is also thrilled to join the franchise.
“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,” Whitta’s statement read.
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The Edwards-Whitta “Star Wars” installment will hit theaters on December 16, 2016.
Before that happens, the J.J. Abrams-helmed “Star Wars VII,” will debut in theaters on December 18, 2015.
— Jolie Lash
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