Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o has officially joined the cast of the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII, the Walt Disney Company announced today. Also added to the cast was Gwendoline Christie, best known for playing Brienne of Tarth on HBO's Game of Thrones.
There had been speculation and rumors that Nyong’o would be joining the cast shortly after she won the best supporting actress Academy Award for her role in 12 Years a Slave. And now with confirmation, Lupita and Gwendoline join a cast which already includes John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, and household-name veterans Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher.
Today, Lupita tweeted, “I can finally say it out loud and proud: I'm going to a galaxy far far away!" She also added an Instagram picture of the Star Wars logo.
There is no word yet on which characters Lupita and Gwendoline will play in the film. But production is underway for the movie directed by J.J. Abrams, that’s expected to be released in theaters, December 2015.
