Benicio Del Toro may be gearing up to play the big bad in a galaxy far, far away. The Wrap is reporting that an offer has gone out to the Academy Award winner to play the villain in director Rian Johnson’s upcoming Star Wars: Episode VIII!
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.
Del Toro is no stranger to science fiction. He recently starred as The Collector in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. There was also a rumor back in 2011 that the star was being courted by Abrams to play the villain in what became Star Trek Into Darkness.
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.
