Star Wars: Episode 7: The Force Awakens" is just a few months away, and fans are counting the days until the return of their beloved characters to the big screen. However, this has not stopped the speculations for the next installment of the new trilogy.
According to Latino Review, "Star Wars Episode 8" is set to have two female actresses, both having significant roles in the movie. Who these actresses are going to portray have not been revealed. However, some are pointing to possibly another hidden Jedi.
IGN reports that the actresses considered for these roles are on the same shortlist. These actresses include Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin), Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), Oliva Cooke (Bate's Motel) and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Jupiter Ascending). However, Cooke has gone to sign on to act in Steven Spielberg's next film "Ready Player One", so her involvement in the next "Star Wars" film is suspect.
Mbatha-Raw has come out to be one of the frontrunners for one of the female leads, and rumors have it that the British-born actress has already had an audition and was very well received. The actress is also rumored to be in the mix for the role of Marion in the upcoming "Robin Hood: Origins" Lionsgate movie. The scheduling for both movies will apparently coincide, so Mbatha-Raw will not be able to appear in both.
Reasons for having a second female lead for the movie have varied, but the most popular rumor is that a second Skywalker child will be introduced into the movie. This could make sense as the "Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens" is set nearly 30 years after the events of "Return of the Jedi." Fans are well aware that Han and Leia were romantically linked at the end of the last movie, and in the previous expanded universe, they had twins.
While the expanded universe has been dismissed by Disney, the probability of one of the Skywalker children having Jedi children is high. As seen in the trailer, Luke talks about how force is strong in his family and is talking how the person he is talking to has it as well. The character has been speculated that the person he's talking to is his child or the child of Leia.
"Star Wars Episode 8" will not see J.J. Abrams' return to the director's chair as Rian Johnson has been tapped to direct. Johnson is best known for his work on the sci-fi thriller "Looper", as well as his work on the hit TV series "Breaking Bad." Reports have said that Johnson has already done some preliminary location shots for episode 8, which is not set for debut until 2017.