Last month, it was revealed that Guardians of the Galaxy (and previous Star Trek Into Darkness hopeful) Benicio Del Toro was in negotiations to play the villain in Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: Episode VIII. Now, speaking with Entertainment Tonight, the actor confirms that he’s in talks and is confident that he’ll appear in the film.
“I can’t tell you much about it but I think that it might happen. It looks like it’s gonna happen, so I’m very excited,” he said. “I can’t talk too much about it. The script is hard to get. They told me they’d cut my finger if I talk about it… I saw the original one when it came out and it marked me,” Del Toro, who was 10 when the first Star Wars hit theaters, recounted. “I was impressed by the film and by the characters and by the story and the message.”
Very little is known about the eighth “Saga” chapter of the hugely successful sci-fi fantasy franchise other than that Johnson is attached to both write and direct. The film, set for release May 26, 2017, will be produced by Ram Bergman and Kathleen Kennedy and will follow both J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens as well as the franchise’s first “anthology” film, director Gareth Edwards’ Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One.
Starring Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Kenny Baker, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Max von Sydow, Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, Crystal Clarke, Pip Anderson, Christina Chong and Miltos Yerolemou, Star Wars: The Force Awakens will debut in theaters on December 18. After that happens, we’ll have a much better grasp on who among that cast will be returning for Episode VIII.
