In news that might make the postponed release date a little easier to accept, Mashable reports that Laura Dern has just joined the cast of Star Wars: Episode VIII, which, if you’ll recall, won’t hit theaters until December 2017. The publication cites a post on the official Star Wars site, which has announced that filming is underway with new cast members Dern, Kelly Marie Tran (Untouchable), and Benicio Del Toro. There were reports last summer that Del Toro had been tapped to play “the villain” of the piece, which would seem to suggest that Kylo Ren’s post-Force Awakens sulk is going to be quite long. But we finally have confirmation from the production itself, though there’s no mention of just who Del Toro will be playing.
Principal photography began in London today, which is apparently news that is best conveyed in a video with Mark Hamill and Daisy Ridley, which is posted below for your enjoyment and delayed gratification.