TheUntitled Gareth Edwards Directed Star Wars Spin-Offis starting to seriously heat up, with Disney confirming a 2016 release date for this sci-fi adventure. Arriving in two Decembers, that’s a little less than two years away, so we should hear some official casting news soon. Last week,Rooney Mara, her sisterKate Mara,Felicity JonesandTatiana Maslanywere all said to be testing for the female lead. Now, a new rumor indicates thatOrphan Blackstar Tatiana Maslany has locked in the part.
This news has not been confirmed or denied by Disney and LucasFilm. The casting ‘confirmation’ comes from a source embedded within the LucasFilm compound. This source does not have any further information about the character she ‘will’ play. There is also no confirmed story details amidst the many swarming rumors. Some claim the movie will focus on a young Han Solo, others believe it will revolve around Boba Fett, and there are some who think it will feature both in a story about space pirates who set out to retrieve the plans for the Death Star, a plot that leads audiences directly intoStar Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. This would basically be making a movie out of that chapter’s opening crawl, which has upset some longtime fans who don’t feel the first movie needs that type of prequel.
Apparently, if we’re to believe what we’ve heard,Tatiana Maslany, a relatively unknown name in the states, impressed Disney and Lucasfilm early on. Also adding fuel to this fire is a recent article fromEntertainment Weeklythat revealsAmanda Seyfriedhas replacedMaslanyin Neil LaBute’s newest off-Broadway drama, The Way We Get By. This happened due to film scheduling conflicts. They do not go onto mention which film has cause conflicts in her schedule though. So, this ‘source’ could just be making an assumption off this story alone.
Chris Weitz, who started off his career producing and ghost directing the firstAmerican Piealongside his brotherPaul Weitz, has been confirmed the new writer of this Untitled Gareth Edwards Directed Star Wars Spin-Off. He recently wrote Disney’s live-actionCinderella, in theaters later this year. He also directed the fantasy adaptationThe Golden Compass.
