Director Gareth Edwards is having one heck of a year. First, his reboot of the classic monster movie Godzilla was released to critical acclaim, as it cruised along to the tune of $216 million worldwide. Now comes news that Edwards has been selected to helm one of Disney’s Star Wars films. It’s said to stand alone from the planned trilogy that picks up where Return of the Jedi left off, according to information from the official Star Wars website. Garry Whitta (The Book of Eli) will write the screenplay.
"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 and honored to go on this mission with Lucasfilm," Edwards said in a statement.
Godzilla was only Edwards' second feature directorial effort. The British visual effects specialist's feature debut came in 2010 with the dystopian sci-fi thriller Monsters.
The as-yet untitled Star Wars film’s announced release date is Dec. 16, 2016.
