A couple of months ago there were rumours that 12 Years A Slave Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o was being courted to appear in Star Wars: Episode VII, but when the main cast list was announced, her name was missing. However now it’s been officially announced that she’s joining the movie.
She’s not the only one, as Gwendoline Christie, best known for playing Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones, will also appear. Christie will also be seen in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay.
Lucasfilm’s head Kathleen Kennedy commented, “I could not be more excited about Lupita and Gwendoline joining the cast of Episode VII. It’s thrilling to see this extraordinarily talented ensemble taking shape.”
As with the other new cast members, there’s no news on exactly who they will play, but they join fellow newbies Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson, Andy Serkis, Max Von Sydow. The join original cast members Kenny Baker, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher.
The film is already shooting with JJ Abrams directing. The film is due out towards the end of 2015.
Southpaw started out as a vehicle for Eminem and it was sold as a vaguely metaphorical looking at his life through boxing. While that idea fell through the film lived on Eminem’s departure, and last November Jake Gyllenhaal attached himself to the lead role.
