En complément de la nouvelle trilogie (dont J.J. Abrams vient de commencer le tournage du premier volet), Disney et LucasFilm avaient annoncé le développement de films dérivés centrés sur différents personnages de la Saga des Etoiles.
Ces spin-off seront au nombre de trois et sortiront entre chaque épisode de la future trilogie, ce qui assurera un rendez-vous cinématographique annuel avec Star Wars jusqu’à au moins 2020.
Si le sujet de ces épisodes indépendants n’a pas encore été révélé (on parle de Bobba Fett, de la jeunesse de Han Solo ou encore de l’Escadron Rogue), le réalisateur et le scénariste du premier film viennent d’être officialisés.
Il s’agit respectivement des britanniques Gareth Edwards (fraîchement auréolé du succès du démarrage de Godzilla) et Gary Whitta (qui a travaillé notamment sur Le Livre d’Eli et After Earth).
La sortie du Star Wars de Gareth Edwards a été fixée au 16 décembre 2016.
Le communiqué officiel :
[quote]Gareth Edwards and Gary Whitta Onboard for Star Wars Stand-Alone Film
May 22, 2014
In addition to the episodes of a new Star Wars trilogy, Lucasfilm and Disney have begun development on multiple stand-alone movies that will offer new stories beyond the core Saga. Gareth Edwards will direct the first stand-alone film, with a screenplay by Gary Whitta. The film is due out December 16, 2016.
Gareth Edwards blazed into the filmmaking forefront with his acclaimed work on Monsters, a film he wrote, directed and served on as cinematographer and visual effects artist. The skill and vision readily apparent in Monsters earned him the high-profile spot directing this year’s smash hit Godzilla.
“Ever since I saw Star Wars I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life – join the Rebel Alliance! I could not be more excited & honored to go on this mission with Lucasfilm, said Edwards.
Gary Whittas screenwriting credits include 2010s The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington. He is also well known as a journalist and editor in the video game industry, as well as part of the BAFTA award-winning team on Telltale Games adaptation of The Walking Dead.
Whitta states, “From the moment I first saw the original movie as a wide-eyed kid, Star Wars has been the single most profound inspiration to my imagination and to my career as a writer. It is deeply special to me,so to be given the opportunity to contribute to its ongoing legacy, especially in collaboration with a film-maker as talented as Gareth,is literally a dream come true. I’m still pinching myself.”
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