It looks like 'Star Wars: Episode IX' is going to be a full-on tearjearker

There are now a lot of Star Wars films, but you know what? You’re still allowed to get excited about them, if that’s your bag. Go on, just get all het up and stand on your tiptoes - it’s fun to look forward to things - it’s why we order pizza. Often the wait is better than the consumption.

Anyway, we all know we’ve got Star Wars: Episode IX on the horizon (well, the very distant, more-than-a-year-away horizon) - which is exciting - so it’s probably about time we told you who’s going to be in it, eh? And according to an announcement, we now can - here’s your regulars:

Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams.

And some new faces? Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant.

So that’s a return for fan-favourites and OGs Luke Skywalker (Hamill), C-3PO (Daniels) and Lando Calrissian (Williams). However, we’ll also be seeing the return of Princess Leia, originally played by the late Carrie Fisher. Director J.J. Abrams, returning to the hotseat after overseeing 2015’s Episode VII, said of the decision:

“We desperately loved Carrie Fisher. Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character. With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carrie’s legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII.”

Mark Hamill also spoke out about the casting announcement, touching on the fact that it will be his last Star Wars movie, and the difficulty he faces tackling that without his co-star:

A few members of the rest of the cast also reacted to the news:

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See? Absolutely fine to get excited about all of that. ABSOLUTELY FINE FOR GROWN ADULTS LEAVE US ALONE.

Star Wars: Episode IX will begin filming at London’s Pinewood Studios on Wednesday (August 1) while John Williams has also been confirmed to, once again, score the film.

Disney will be feeling the pressure a little after the relatively divisive Episode VIII and the underwhelming box office performance of Solo, but with those two fan favourites bidding their farewells and rounding off the Skywalker era, it’s hard to imagine that any Star Wars fan will shy away from checking this one out.

Meanwhile, for all your production credit needs, read the next paragraph:

Star Wars: Episode IX will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Michelle Rejwan, and executive produced by Callum Greene and Jason McGatlin. The crew includes Dan Mindel (Director of Photography), Rick Carter and Kevin Jenkins (Co-Production Designers), Michael Kaplan (Costume Designer), Neal Scanlan (Creature and Droid FX), Maryann Brandon and Stefan Grube (Editors), Roger Guyett (VFX Supervisor), Tommy Gormley (1st AD), and Victoria Mahoney (2nd Unit Director).

Always very very interested in who’s going to be the 2nd Unit Director, so all we can say is GO VICTORIA, hope you have a blast.

Star Wars Episode IX is out December 2019

(Image: Disney)