Lightsabers Square Off In A New STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS TV Spot!

Yes, we know there's been an awakening. And yes, we've felt it...or whatever else anyone of us might be feeling aside from it in similar capacity. What we also know is actor John Boyega will be wielding a badass lightsaber in pure Jedi fashion as Finn opposite Adam Driver in the role of Kylo Ren who, judging by blurbs from around the web, either may or may not be a Sith.

At any rate, Star Wars: The Force Awakens looks like an early box-office Christmas present for Disney and Lucasfilm. And surely, the latest 16-second TV spot will guarantee even more excitement and anxiety among the fans as the December 18 date slowly approaches. Check it out below!

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

Lucasfilm

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. 

Lucasfilm

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!

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS Gets An International TV Spot

There's plenty to hope for in lieu of Lucasfilm and Disney's latest entry into a new chapter of the Star Wars movie saga. With sequels and spin-offs pending, director J.J. Abrams's Star Wars: The Force Awakens continues to build a mass of fandom and reinviogoration for the franchise with a slew of teasers and trailers that offer a glimpse of what appears to nothing short of a glorious return to the aesthetic that made the franchise what it is today.

All six previous films have been given digital and looming steelbook treatment, so there's still time to watch all the films thusfar depending on what your preferences are - the re-edited versions of the first befitting the prequels or the opposite. In the meantime, it looks like this one is heading for a box-office weekend sellout with fans ready to crowd as many true IMAX theaters as they can to get the most out of the experience.

That experience begins on December 18, 2015, and this week we now have an international 30-second television spot geared toward South Korean audiences, or rather, since awesome is universal... everyone. Check it out below!

All Six Star Wars Movies Will Be Re-Released In Steelbook This Fall!

2015 is the year to be a fan of Star Wars and if the nearly 50-year old franchise is completely alien to you, you really, really need to get out more. Incidentally, you're also in luck, as timeless as George Lucas's popular film franchise has been since breaking ground in 1977 and with a multitude of games, television shows, novels and comic books therein. Indeed, there are dozens of ways to celebrate this iconic saga, BUT, as if there weren't enough, Lucasfilm, Fox and Walt Disney Co. have announced new Blu-Ray steelbook and repackaged versions of all six movies thus far to arrive between October and November.

Bear these in mind with the forthcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens in December, and guaranteed it'll be a great entry into 2016, and hopefully we will learn more about the progress upcoming spin-offs as well as the eighth film. And considering the announcement, maybe there is something to all those rumors about Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson making a return to their earlier prequel roles...just maybe. Rumors, at best, but just maybe.

Los Angeles, CA (August 5, 2015) – As the galaxy prepares for the next generation of Star Wars, the six epic films will each release as commemorative Blu-ray steelbooks on November 10th. These highly collectible films will be available for a limited time only and can be pre-ordered beginning August 7th. In addition, Star Wars: The Complete Saga will be released in newly repackaged artwork on October 13th. The announcements were made today by The Walt Disney Studios, Lucasfilm Ltd., and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Each film from the Saga is presented with new character packaging allowing fans to choose their favorite or collect all six for a limited time. Characters include: The Phantom Menace – Darth Maul; Attack of the Clones – Yoda; Revenge of the Sith – General Grievous; A New Hope – Darth Vader; The Empire Strikes Back – Imperial Stormtrooper; and Return of the Jedi – Emperor Palpatine.

In addition to the collectible steelbook packaging, each single disc Blu-ray includes existing audio commentary with George Lucas and the film crew as well as audio commentary from archival interviews with the cast and crew.

The newly repackaged Saga includes all six feature films on Blu-ray, along with three additional discs containing more than 40 hours of previously released extensive special features.

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.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS Celebrate With The New Teaser!!

If you're a Star Wars fan, the new official teaser for J.J. Abrams's Star Wars: The Force Awakens is exactly the best thing you've seen today. Forget about the debates you may have had about the new lightsaber design and the look of the stormtroopers and such. This is Star Wars, and it is exactly what you know you'll be seeing this December.

The second teaser for this, the seventh film in a new trilogy, unveiled for a panel at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California which wraps this Sunday. Click HERE for more info and stay tuned for further content as it comes. In the meantime, mark December 18, 2015 on your calendar ahead of further films dated, including Star Wars Episode VIII set for May 26, 2017 and the upcoming spinoff film, Star Wars: Rogue One on December 16, 2016. In th meantime, new teaser below.

 

STAR WARS CELEBRATION: Watch The Live Feed Right Here!

This year's Star Wars Celebration is kicking off today over in Anaheim, California for the next four days, and we'll get to see up to at least 30 hours of footage from the festivities with star studded panels and interviews and much more. Suffice it to say, much of that discussion will include the the brand new trailer for Celebration attendee and panelist, director J.J. Abrams's debut contribution to a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

There's no question that there will be some new faces added here as part of a brand new canon to attach itself to the previous six films dating back to 1977 when the phenomenon first began taking shape. We got our first glimpse at what this installation into the saga may entail in the first teaser back in November last year and it definitely got some conversations going as much of a REAL teaser it was. Since then, the roll out as been at a snail's pace with just who our characters will portray aside from images featuring actress Daisy Ridley, and actors John Boyega and Oscar Isaac, with the promised return of saga regulars Mark Hammil, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford among others.

There's plenty of information to come though, particularly with further spin-offs now in the works with helmers Gareth Edwards, Rian Johnson and Josh Trank taking on their own respective titles as Disney and Lucas continue the fervor in keeping the franchise relevant among fans. Meanwhile, StarWars.com will be on hand to present all the fresh details and content there is expected to be while The Force remains awake this week. Details are below, along with the live video stream and promo art now making the rounds!

For the first time ever, highlights and more than 30 hours of exclusive video content from Star Wars Celebration Anaheim will be officially live streamed to a worldwide community of fans on StarWars.com, all powered by Verizon. 

Launching with a live stream of the highly-anticipated kickoff panel featuring Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams and producer Kathleen Kennedy, the StarWars.com Celebration live stream powered by Verizon will continue providing coverage throughout the four-day event from a specially-designed Star Wars Cantina set located in the middle of the action on the convention floor. 

Verizon and StarWars.com will deliver 30-plus hours of live streamed content following Thursday’s Celebration kickoff, featuring over a dozen panels and events, including discussions with actors Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams, Ian McDiarmid, and several other performers associated with the Star Wars saga. Additionally, StarWars.com and Verizon will be live streaming the Star Wars Fan Film Awards; the Smuggler’s Bounty radio drama; EA’s new Battlefront videogame; and several other exclusive Celebration events that might otherwise be missed by members from Star Wars’ global fan community. 

Between the live, on-stage events, StarWars.com will feature live interviews with celebrity guests within the Star Wars Cantina set specially built to capture the mood and atmosphere of the infamous Mos Eisley watering hole from A New Hope. These segments will have a fun, variety show flavor to them that brings a bit of the Star Wars Celebration vibe to those enjoying the event from afar. 

Exclusive clips from throughout Star Wars Celebration event will also be available on demand from Verizon, allowing fans to celebrateStar Wars long after the live streams are over. 

The live streaming begins at 10:00 a.m. PST, Thursday, April 16, on StarWars.com with the Celebration kickoff panel and continues with 30-plus hours of coverage through the closing ceremony on Sunday, April 19, beginning at 3:30 p.m. PST. Watch exclusive highlights and on-demand clips from Verizon on Twitter, @VerizonWireless, and at Facebook.com/Verizon.

The STAR WARS DIGITAL MOVIE COLLECTION Arrives This Friday!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is coming to theaters this December, and with big things about to happen this summer, now is as good a time as any to be a fan of the legendary franchise centered in a galaxy far, far away. All six Star Wars films are getting re-released digitally this Friday, choc-filled with bonus features fans will enjoy, and time will tell what this package will fully entail and how well it will bode with moviegoers at home. For now though, it looks like an awesome gem to own and there will be no shortage of hype this year.

StarWars.com brought the official announcement with the details below.

The Star Wars films will soon become more powerful than you can possibly imagine: the classic series is going digital for the first time ever. 

As anticipation builds for the December release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the first new film in the Star Wars saga in a decade, The Walt Disney Studios, Lucasfilm Ltd., and 20th Century Fox today announced the upcoming release of The Star Wars Digital Movie Collection. All six epic films in the saga, from The Phantom Menace to Return of the Jedi, will be available on Digital HD globally beginning Friday, April 10. 

“Since the debut of the first film nearly 40 years ago, Star Wars has become a worldwide phenomenon with legions of fans from every generation,” said Alan Bergman, president, The Walt Disney Studios. “It’s only fitting that audiences enjoy this legendary saga and its many fascinating behind-the-scenes stories on a wide variety of platforms, and we’re very excited to finally bring all six films to Digital HD for the first time.” 

“We’re thrilled that fans will be able to enjoy the Star Wars saga on their digital devices wherever they go,” commented Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. “These films broke new ground in technology, design, sound, and visual effects, and we’ve created some very special bonus material which delves into the saga’s rich history, including new and never-before-released conversations between legendary Star Wars artists — the masters who helped George bring his iconic universe to life.” 

With Star Wars: Episodes I-VI available for purchase as a complete digital movie collection and individually, viewers will have the Rebel forces at their beck and call across their favorite devices anywhere — sunbathing at the beach, relaxing in their living room with friends, or waiting to board a flight to Endor (or elsewhere). 

Plus, unlike Lando’s bargaining with Darth Vader, this deal is getting better all the time: Enhancing the movie collection are a host of never-before-seen special features including Star Wars: Discoveries from Inside and insightful Conversations between key contributors from across this celebrated film franchise, plus a curated collection of classic Star Wars extras from each film. The complete list of bonus material includes: 

*Digital bonus offerings may vary by retailer 

Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace 

Conversations: Doug Chiang Looks Back 

Discoveries From Inside: Models & Miniatures 

Legacy content includes “The Beginning”; The Podrace: Theatrical Edit; plus eight deleted scenes. 

Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones 

Conversations: Sounds In Space 

Discoveries From Inside: Costumes Revealed 

Legacy content includes “From Puppets To Pixels: Digital Characters In Episode II”; State Of The Art: The Previsualization Of Episode II; and “Films Are Not Released, They Escape”; plus Episode II Visual Effects Breakdown Montage and six deleted scenes. 

Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith 

Conversations: The Star Wars That Almost Was 

Discoveries From Inside: Hologram & Bloopers 

Legacy content includes documentaries “Within A Minute: The Making Of Episode III”; The Journey Part 1; and The Journey Part 2; plus six deleted scenes. 

Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (20th Century Fox) 

Conversations: Creating A Universe 

Discoveries From Inside: Weapons & The First Lightsaber 

Legacy content includes “Anatomy Of A Dewback”; Star Wars Launch Trailer; plus eight deleted scenes. 

Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back 

Conversations: The Lost Interviews 

Discoveries From Inside: Matte Paintings Unveiled 

Legacy content includes “A Conversation With The Masters” (2010); “Dennis Muren: How Walkers Walk”; “George Lucas On Editing The Empire Strikes Back 1979”; and “George Lucas On The Force: 2010”; plus six deleted scenes. 

Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi 

Conversations: The Effects 

Discoveries From Inside: The Sounds Of Ben Burtt 

Legacy content includes “Classic Creatures: Return Of The Jedi”; “Revenge Of The Jedi Teaser Trailer”; Return Of The Jedi Launch Trailer; “It Began TV Spot”; “Climactic Chapter TV Spot”; plus five deleted scenes.

J.J. Approved! Watch The New Trailer For Force Storm Entertainment's Debut Short, THE BETRAYAL!

If you were around about a year ago or so, you may recall previous reports on the announcement of actor, martial artist, writer, producer and stuntman Noah Fleder's inspired production base, Force Storm Entertainment. Built on the brewing reinvigoration of impending Star Wars fandom, with thanks in large part to the facilitators at Crestec Studios in Torrance, California, Fleder and the folks behind the scenes have been working toward developing a substantive platform for the shared vision at Force Storm Entertainment to accomodate fans with a variety of shortfilms and skits ranging from mockumentary-style comedy and laughs to impeccable drama, action and stuntwork.

Having previously worked with independent martial arts action cinema favorite, Unlucky Stars co-star and action director, filmmaker Vlad Rimburg on several online action shorts in the past including The Flow channel webseries, The Hunt, Force Storm Entertainment will debut its channel with the long-awaited action shortfilm release, The Betrayal on April 5, featuring Fleder and Rimburg with principle performances by Mickey Facchinello, Brendon Huor, Gui DaSilva, Jimmy Chhiu, Tony Chu, and Power Rangers: Dino Charge star Yoshua Sudarso. The Betrayal will mark the first of a slate of videos kicking off an eight week production cycle following the channel's launch on Sunday, March 29, 2015 with an announcement video by Fleder that now includes a fresh new teaser trailer for The Betrayal following the first teaser which aired on March 8.

The launch of the channel comes with great timing just as the surge among fans is rising with passioned awareness of director J.J. Abrams's forthcoming December release, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and other films that will follow suit. The next major star-studded Star Wars event is set to take place for the tenth Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim for four days on the weekend of April 16, and in lieu of this, Force Storm Entertainment has already caught the attention of quite a few important people within the leading ranks of the Star Wars community, and in no way do I imply this as an understatement. To say the least, 2015 is a damn good year to be a Star Wars fan, and the momentum and potential is surely resonant for Force Storm Entertainment with the approval they're getting and are continuing to acquire, particularly from a certain director of certain film coming this year.

"Really fun short film. Fighting is very well done. Now I really need to up my game!!!"

~JJ Abrams

As a noteworthy mention, Force Storm Entertainment is one of two channels Fleder is hosting this month with his upcoming martial arts tutorial channel, Martial Way, which will launch on the same day. That makes two reasons to pay close attention to what Fleder is doing this year while he maintains his place on the radar for fans and netizens alike who love martial arts, science fiction and all things comic-con.

If you fell asleep on this since my last report, now is as good a time as any to wake up and subscribe to Force Storm Entertainment. Watch Fleder's announcement video below and follow the Storm on Facebook and Twitter!

STAR WARS NEWS: ROGUE ONE Casts Its Lead, Gets Release Date With Ep. VIII One Year Apart

Directors Gareth Edwards, Josh Trank and Rian Johnson are all poised to direct their own contributions to the Star Wars universe relative to the forthcoming release of J.J. Abrams's Star Wars: The Force Awakens this December. That said, Disney CEO Bob Iger was on hand at a meeting of shareholders on Thursday morning where he unveiled the respective titles and dates among the few details to be made public.

Edwards will begin filming Rouge One, the first in a series of spin-offs that will take place beyond the Star Wars canon with a script by Cinderella scribe Chris Weitz and will star Academy Award-nomimated actress Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything, based on an idea by executive producer John Knoll. Also executive producing are Simon Emanuel, and Jason McGatlin with Kathleen Kennedy and Tony To producing and John Swartz co-producing for the film's summer shoot in London ahead of its December 16, 2016 release.

Johnson will follow-up The Force Awakens with the tentatively-titled Star Wars: Episode VIII for its May 26, 2017. Kennedy and Looper producer Ram Bergman, along with Don Jon, Brick, and The Brothers Bloom, are also produce. No details have yet been made about Trank's film, so stick around

H/T: Star Wars

Harrison Ford To Return In BLADE RUNNER Sequel With Denis Villeneuve In Talks To Direct

It was back in May of last year that actor Harrison Ford was tapped to return to the role of futuristic detective Rick Deckhard in the 1982 sci-fi action noir, Blade Runner. This week, with Alcon Entertainment now taking the reigns to help move the new film forward and long after all the hopes that Ford would return, the word from Deadline is that Ford is officially returning to the role with Prisoners helmer Denis Villeneuve is also now in talks to direct after just recently wrapping his own new crime pic, Sicaro.

Written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, the first film is set in November in the year 2019, with Ford in the role of semi-retired LAPD detective Rick Deckhard, who, in the course of being pulled back to duty as a "blade runner" to hunt down and "retire" rogue humanoid beings called "replicants" following a bloody mutiny that led to their illegality, finds himself protecting and falling in love with Rachael (Sean Young) a replicant who believes herself to be human. Villenueve's new film, should he be confirmed, will follow a new script written by Hampton and Peoples with co-scribe Michael Green, based on an idea by Fancher and the first film's director, Ridley Scott, who will now executive produce as of just several months ago.

The new script is exepected to take place several decades after the end of the first film, although there is no other word yet on whether or not the new film will be an original follow-up or be attributed to any of the three sequel novels written by K.W. Jeter between 1995 and 2000. Cameras are expected to begin rolling next summer while we await further info on who else will star.

Ford has also been in the headlines pertaining to other memorable roles he's been known for in movie history, including his hopeful return to the fray as Indiana Jones while other names such as Bradley Cooper and Chris Pratt have circulated. The actor is also expected to reappear back in the role of intergalactic adventurer Han Solo along with an ensemble cast of new and old faces in this December's release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

More to come!

'The Force Awakens' With THE RAID 2 Actors Joining The Seventh STAR WARS Film

Well, nobody within a range too distant from the production of J.J. Abrams's Star Wars: The Force Awakens saw this coming, but it appears that The Raid 2 principal stars, Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman will have roles of their own in the film when it releases this December.

There are no details as of yet, and it also comes as a major, MAJOR fucking surprise since their names were nowhere seen in previous reports. Nonetheless, it's a big step up from a group that has seen its cult success rise from the recent fanbase grown stemming from the successes of director Gareth Huw Evans whose films have signaled a sizable resurgence for Indonesia's film industry with the releases of coming-of-age martial arts drama, Merantau, and two of the currently developing Raid Trilogy.

It's also another huge foray further into the mainstream for Uwais and Ruhian, who themselves stepped into sci-fi territory with the current sequel production of Liam O'Donnell's Beyond Skyline, following Uwais's brief stint among a more international cast in Keanu Reeves' thrilling 2013 kung fu character study, Man Of Tai Chi and Ruhian's crossover to Japan for Miike Takashi's upcoming vampire spectacle, Yakuza Apocalypse: The Great War Of The Underworld. Clearly, Merantau was just the beginning, and so this news is likely to do well among anyone curious to see how well these three will will bode on either side of the force. The question is, who among these three will join the dark side and wield a lightsaber?

Whatever the case may be, after last November's teaser and before we hear anymore news about a Han Solo spin-off, we need answers. This is too huge!

H/T: Twitchfilm