Gareth Edwards To Direct The First ‘Star Wars’ Spin-Off

Lucasfilm and Disney made an announcement in which they said “In addition to the episodes of a new Star Wars trilogy, Lucasfilm and Disney have begun development on multiple stand-alone movies that will offer new stories beyond the core Saga.

Gareth Edwards will direct the first stand-alone film, with a screenplay by Gary Whitta. The film is due out December 16, 2016.”

The Star Wars project marks an amazing career trajectory for Edwards, who went from making a small creature feature for $500,000, 2010’s “Monsters,” to getting the assignment to take on “Godzilla,” a monster in need of a 21st century rehabilitation.

The mission was a success, with the Legendary/Warner Bros. movie “overperforming” when it opened, grossing $93.1 million. The movie also received strong critical reviews and plenty of fanboy love.

Whitta has worked on the scripts for “The Book of Eli” and “After Earth” for the big screen, as well as the popular “Walking Dead” game from Telltale.

Due to the high level of secrecy surrounding the Star Wars development process, it is unclear which spinoff Edwards will tackle. Speculation has focused on characters such as bounty hunter Boba Fett and Jedi master Yoda as those who might be getting their own movies.

There are also rumors of a potential Han Solo origin story or at least something on the Solo clan, and untold adventures of Luke Skywalker.

This project gives Edwards an opportunity to be a part of what is not only one of the biggest franchises in history, but also a project that is a dream for so many filmmakers who grew up loving and being inspired by the storied George Lucas universe.