Just when the Force was awakened by the upcoming release of "Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens" this coming Dec. 18, news of an upcoming sequel, "Star Wars Episode VIII" comes—with the villain confirmed.
Starwars7news.com reports that Puerto Rican actor Benicio Del Toro is confirmed to join the cast of "Star Wars Episode VIII," and will start filming in March.
Del Toro, also known as "The Collector" Taneleer Tivan in Guardians Of The Galaxy, confirmed his future involvement in the Star Wars franchise when he was interviewed by a local radio station. He also revealed some details, like what character he is playing, and when he will start filming.
The interview is available for listening in at www.rac1.org, however, it's in Spanish. Starwars7news.com's member Altgr0160 provides an English transcript for non-Spanish readers.
"Star Wars is coming up, we will see how that turns out. I think we start shooting in March," said Del Toro, confirming the start of his filming.
He was then asked regarding his role in the new chapter of Star Wars.
"Ehhh, the thing is, they don't let me talk too much about it, I'm like the villain," said the actor. "But we'll see."
The translator provides some clarification on the transcript, saying that Del Toro, in Spanish, said "he is like the villain," which may mean different things: he could be the villain, or he couldn't be.
Slashfilm gives further insight into Del Toro's character, stating that he could be a bad guy but not the main antagonist; or someone who creates trouble for the protagonists, but is not necessarily allied with The First Order (seen in The Force Awakens' trailer). The point is, according to the website, there's no way that Del Toro would be authorized to give away such important, surprise detail nonchalantly.
The Wrap reports that although the plot for Star Wars Episode VIII remains unknown as of the moment, some speculations arise, thinking that Han Solo's daughter might be introduced in the film.
The entertainment site reports that Rian Johnson will be directing the movie, and top choices for the female lead include Golden Globe nominee Tatiana Maslany, Golden Globe winner Gina Rodriguez, and star Olivia Cooke.
The production for "Star Wars Episode VIII" will start early next year. It will be produced by Ram Bergman and Lucasfilm's Kathy Kennedy, and is scheduled for big-screen release on May 26, 2017.
For the meantime watch "Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens" as it is released on Dec.18, 2015.
