D23: Theme Parks, A New Cast Pic, A New Poster & More!

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Saturday was a heavy-handed day for Star Wars fans attending Disney's D23 Expo in Anaheim, California. Cutting right to the chase here, various costumes and other goods were unveiled at the expo, including plans for Star Wars Land - two 14-acre theme parks in Anaheim, California and Orlando, Florida with three concept pictures to show fans what is in store.

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As for film, aside from co-writing the forthcoming sequel to his summer box-office hit, Jurassic World, filmmaker Colin Trevorrow will have plenty of time to work out the kinks in time to direct the ninth Star Wars film. Trevorrow currently completes the roster of directors now involved in Disney and Lucasfilm's new trilogy of films within the canon aside from the upcoming spin-offs, including the December 16, 2016 release of director Gareth Edwards's Star Wars: Rogue One; That film also got its day today with a new cast photo featuring Felicity Jones front and center with Asian cinema stars Jiang Wen and Donnie Yen on the far right. 

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Of course, the biggest reveal of the day was the official poster for J.J. Abrams's Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which has already caused a stir with new exclusive pictorals over at EW. The poster was designed by artist Drew Struzan and was handed out exclusively to D23 attendees. Check it out below!

Further details are pending regarding Rian Johnson's work on the eighth Star Wars film arriving on May 26, 2017 with Sicario co-star, actor Benicio Del Toro in talks as of late, in addition to film duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller's Han Solo origin flick set for May 25, 2018. Stay tuned for more info!

Han Solo Is Getting A STAR WARS Origin Movie In 2018!

Disney and Lucasfilm are not done growing into their newly revamped efforts to spawn a whole new slate of films and other media properties for the longstanding Star Wars franchise. Darth Vader is set to appear in the 2016 release of Gareth Edwards' Star Wars Anthology: Rebel One now already underway with second unit production following J.J. Abrams's Star Wars: The Force Awakens opening before this Christmas, and it's looking more certain that Hong Kong Donnie Yen will be joining Oscar Isaac and actor Harrison Ford among the cast for director Rian Johnson's contribution to the 2017-dated eighth episode in the main saga.

That said, speaking of Han Solo - a name that has spent quite a bit of time swirling amid rumors for a possible standalone film within the past year or so, Star Wars.com is finally announcing an anthology movie based on the character with The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street helmers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller directing. The two have made a killing in the last few years and are currently adding a few more notable credits to their TV and film resumè, including an upcoming reboot of the classic superhero television comedy, The Greatest American Hero, and actor Ezra Miller's transformation into the Flash as per Warner Bros. announced slate of DC Entertainment movie titles last year.

Star Wars fans will definitely be getting their money's worth with these two, on top of the participation of Lawrence Kasdan who contributed to the several installations of the Star Wars franchise. I suppose the question now is who should play Harrison Ford's younger self?...

...And yes, I can already hear some of you screaming "HARRISON FORD!". *sigh* oh well...opinions are welcome, so comment below. Otherwise, here are the specs!

The next adventure in the Anthology series of Star Wars films will be directed by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, whose credits include the critically acclaimed The LEGO Movie and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, as well as 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street. Among the most sought-after filmmakers working today, the two have proven a formidable duo on the multiple films they’ve collaborated on and are looking forward to applying their unique creative chemistry to the Star Wars universe. 

“This is the first film we’ve worked on that seems like a good idea to begin with. We promise to take risks, to give the audience a fresh experience, and we pledge ourselves to be faithful stewards of these characters who mean so much to us. This is a dream come true for us. And not the kind of dream where you’re late for work and all your clothes are made of pudding, but the kind of dream where you get to make a film with some of the greatest characters ever, in a film franchise you’ve loved since before you can remember having dreams at all.” 

The screenplay is written by Lawrence Kasdan and Jon Kasdan. The story focuses on how young Han Solo became the smuggler, thief, and scoundrel whom Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi first encountered in the cantina at Mos Eisley. 

Lawrence Kasdan, the writer and director known for Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Big Chill, and Grand Canyon, is familiar to Star Wars fans for having co-written the screenplays for The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and The Force Awakens. His son Jon Kasdan wrote and directed The First Time, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and In the Land of Women, as well as writing for the television series Freaks and Geeks and Dawson’s Creek. 

“We’re so excited to be working with Chris and Phil, who will bring a fresh new dimension to the Star Wars universe,” said the Kasdans. “They’re two of the smartest, funniest and most original filmmakers around, and the ideal choice to tell the story of Han Solo, one of the coolest characters in the galaxy.”  

Kathleen Kennedy, who will be producing, says she can’t wait to discover what’s in store from these two extraordinary teams of directors and writers. 

“It’s not just any filmmaker who can tell the story of such a beloved icon like Han Solo, and I’m excited to say we’ve found the perfect team to handle the task. Larry and Jon know all there is to know about the character, and Chris and Phil will bring their wit, style, energy and heart to tell Han’s story.” 

Slated for a May 25, 2018 release, the film will be executive produced by Lawrence Kasdan and Jason McGatlin and co-produced by Will Allegra.

Will Donnie Yen Join STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII?

There's been no shortage within martial arts action superstar Donnie Yen's international fanbase for him to appear in major roles following his smaller stints in films like Highlander: Endgame, Blade 2 and Shanghai Knights opposite fellow genre mainstay Jackie Chan. Recent mentions in the last several years have even thrown his name in the mix for Sylvester Stallone's Expendables franchise until the opposite was confirmed, leaving fans curious about his later prospects.

So, of course we'll be learning more about his forthcoming Hollywood lead debut in Noodle Man, for starters. Meanwhile, it appears that Disney's latest rebranding of the Star Wars franchise for its future film prospects have shared in the fervor of several popular names in Asian cinema rumored to be joining the fray in some capacity. Those reports have kept quiet as a lot of these updates come at the behest of knee-jerk fandom, random leaks and tabloid media, which also brings speculation to the latest blurb now breaking the internet courtesy of HK tabloid Apple Daily, which states that Yen will be appearing as a Jedi for Looper helmer Rian Johnson in Star Wars: Episode VIII.

The news comes just as Yen wrapped principle photography on the now third trilogical installment of the Ip Man franchise late last month while according to Twitchfilm, the forwarded update comes just as actor Oscar Isaac is said to be the otherwise only confirmed name to appear in the film, and franchise mainstay, actor Harrison Ford is also said to appear as well. Namely, actors Jet Li, Stephen Chow, Leehom Wang, Chang Chen and upcoming AMC series Into The Badlands star Daniel Wu were among the who's-who of contenders beaten out by Yen, something which already has the appeal of fans as this latest blurb continues to take on a life of its own.

Of course, hopefully some results will subside after this weekend's Comic Con launch in San Diego while regular followers of Yen's official Facebook fan page will be more keen on official news should it come about as active as he is, and will likely be as we approach the August deadline for the upcoming release of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2: The Green Legend. In the meantime, Star Wars: Episode VIII awaits an official title ahead of its set release on May 26, 2017 following Isaac and Ford's starring roles in J.J. Abrams's Star Wars: The Force Awakens on December 18, 2015.