Star Wars fans, you're going to have to wait a little longer to see the further adventures of Rey, Finn, Kylo Ren, BB-8 and the rest. Because Disney and Lucasfilm have decided to shift the release date of Star Wars: Episode VIII from May 2017 until December 15 that year.
Writer/director Rian Johnson is gearing up to start shooting the bulk of the film next month in London, with the likes of Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher joined by Benicio Del Toro. While no official reason was given, it appears that the huge success of Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($1.87 billion worldwide and counting) has spurred the companies to shift the release date so as to keep the same pattern.
So yes, now we'll be once more spending the run-up to Christmas 2017 wondering just what has happened with our heroes, while also pondering how Kylo Ren would react. He won't be pleased, we fear...
But the movement means that someone else can slide into that spot, as Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales will take over the May 26, 2017 spot instead. Hooray?
For your next Star Wars fix, we do at least have Rogue One: A Star Wars Story headed here on December 16 this year.