Big **Star Wars **news has arrived, and that news can be split into three parts:
- The name of the first standalone **Star Wars **film, as directed by Godzilla and **Monsters **helmer Gareth Edwards, is Rogue One, and it's coming out on December 16, 2016.
- Felicity Jones, as long expected, is the first confirmed cast member for the film.
- **Star Wars Episode VIII ** will come out on May 26, 2017. Rian Johnson, of **Looper **fame, will write the script as well as direct it. This newly-announced release date is 40 years and a day after Star Wars came out in 1977. This means there is just a year and a half after Episode VII, the shortest gap between two Star Wars movies.
The press release gives more details about Rogue One: "The idea for the story of Rogue One came from John Knoll, an Academy Award-winning visual effects supervisor and chief creative officer at Industrial Light & Magic. He will executive produce along with Simon Emanuel (The Dark Knight Rises, Fast & Furious 6) and Jason McGatlin (Tintin, War Of The Worlds). Kathleen Kennedy and Tony To (Band Of Brothers, The Pacific) are on board to produce and John Swartz (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) will co-produce. The film starts shooting this summer in London."
Rogue One, presumably, will have something to do with Rogue Squadron, and as such, will contain a lot of space acrobatics. If you're not totally in the loop about Rogue Squandron, Wookiepedia is at hand:
"Rogue Squadron, originally dubbed Rogue Flight, and also known as the Rogues, was an elite Rebel Alliance starfighter squadron founded by Commander Arhul Narra, Luke Skywalker, and Wedge Antilles shortly after the Battle of Yavin out of Red Squadron. Rogue Squadron played a key role during several engagements in the Galactic Civil War, serving as the primary defense squadron of the Alliance High Command."
John Knoll, in case you didn't know already, invented Photoshop with his brother Thomas, so when it comes to special effects and manipulating images, he takes some beating. There has been some speculation about this film being about bounty hunters stealing plans for the first death star, or that it might involve the Rebel Alliance in some way. It'll almost certainly be a prequel, judging from the title, and won't take place at the same time period as Episode VII and VIII. But then again, all bets are off...
What do you hope to see in the first standalone Star Wars movie? Let us know...** Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens** is out on December 18, 2015.
For eveything we know about Rogue One, read our complete guide.