'Star Wars: Episode VIII' is an upcoming action-adventure and fantasy film written and directed by Rian Johnson. The sequel has commenced with principal photography and may focus more on the Skywalker family. John Boyega teased that it will be a "darker" sequel to 'Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens'.
According to Screen Crush, Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger announced that filming for 'Star Wars: Episode VIII' has official began in London during a conference call with investors.
He said, "Filming of Star Wars: Episode VIII, the next chapter of the legendary saga, has just commenced and it will be in theaters December 2017. And production of Episode IX, a 2019 release, has also begun." As for 'Star Wars: Episode XI', it may be that principal photography has not commenced as of yet, but has begun pre-production or the opening of production offices.
It was reported that the shoot for the eighth installment in the Star Wars cinematic series was originally scheduled to begin in January. It was originally scheduled to be released in theaters on May 2017 but was delayed to December 2017 following the success of J.J. Abrams' 'Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens' during the Christmas holiday season. Rian Johnson's follow-up was given an additional entire month for preparation with the cast and crew.
According to MovieWeb, Abrams' seventh installment became the third movie in film history to earn more than $2 million at the box office and the only film to make more than $900 million domestically. 'Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens' opened in December 18, 2015 in the United States.
Meanwhile, John Boyega teased new details about the upcoming film including more "physical roles" for his character Finn. Finn is a human who served as a First Order Stormtrooper who deserted his role to become part of the Resistance alongside Han Solo and his wookie accomplice Chewbacca.
According to The Independent, Boyega revealed that the sequel's story will be much darker and that he was "very excited" for it. It was also reported that the film will focus more on the Skywalker family, fueling speculations of Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker return to the franchise.
'Star Wars: Episode VIII' is an upcoming action-adventure and fantasy film written intended as the sequel to J.J. Abrams' 'Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens'. It is written and directed by Rian Johnson and features the return of Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Gwendline Christie, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill. It is scheduled to be released on December 15, 2017.
