While we don’t know a lot about Walt Disney Pictures and Lucasfilm‘s Star Wars: Episode VIII yet, we now do know when filming is ending for the next saga film. Mark Hamill took to Twitter this weekend and revealed the Star Wars: Episode VIII end of filming date:
It wraps on Friday July 22nd 2016 #LooseLipsSinkStarships #W8ForVIII #DontBeAHomer #PatienceMyPadawans #Rogue1Sooner https://t.co/92syo6m36d
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) July 2, 2016
Friday, July 22nd is the second day of the San Diego Comic-Con and it’s probably safe to say now that the schedule will prevent the film from having a presence there. However, fans already know that Star Wars: Episode VIII will be present at the upcoming Star Wars Celebration in London. Hamill himself will have an hour-long panel there on Friday, July 15, and Lucasfilm has also revealed the Future Filmmakers panel is set to take place on the Celebration Stage on Sunday, July 17. The panel will be hosted by Lucasfilm Story Group’s Pablo Hidalgo and will feature Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story co-producer Kiri Hart, Star Wars: Episode VIII director Rian Johnson, and the Han Solo-directing duo of Chris Miller and Phil Lord.
Filming for Star Wars: Episode VIII began on February 10 and the production released an announcement video a few days later.
Star Wars: Episode VIII, which is written and directed by Johnson and continues the storylines introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, welcomes back cast members Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Lupita Nyong’o, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, and Andy Serkis. New cast members will include Academy Award winner Benicio Del Toro, Academy Award nominee Laura Dern, and talented newcomer Kelly Marie Tran.
Produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman and executive produced by J.J. Abrams, Jason McGatlin, and Tom Karnowski, Star Wars: Episode VIII is scheduled for a release on December 15, 2017.
