"Beyond the Lights" actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw may join the cast ensemble of Rian Johnson's upcoming sci-fi space film "Star Wars: Episode VIII."
Sources told Collider that Mbatha-Raw is in talks for a role in Johnson's upcoming film. The publication mentioned that the report is true though negotiations might not push through and it had not been confirmed by Disney.
While Mbatha-Raw has been reported to land a role in the eight installment of the "Star Wars" franchise, her exact role in the film is yet to be revealed. The actress could play a human, an alien, or someone who was connected to the other characters in the film's predecessors.
While there are a number of paths Mbatha-Raw could take in the film, it is also possible that the "Beyond the Lights" actress to play a new character fans have never seen. In fact, her addition in the film would be part of the vibrant "Star Wars" universe being laid down by J.J. Abrams in his upcoming "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens," as per Cinema Blend.
Set 30 years after the events in the "Return of Jedi," Abrams' "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens" showcases an ensemble of both old and new heroes and villains. The film also Isaac, Hamill, Max von Sydow, Simon Pegg, Daisy Ridley, Domhnall Gleeson, John Boyega, Gwendoline Christie, Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford, among others.
Meanwhile, along with Johnson set to helm the "Star Wars: Episode VIII," "Star Wars" director George Lucas is on board to co-pen the screenplay. Ram Bergman, Tom Karnowski, and Kathleen Kennedy are set to co-produce the film.
Johnson's "Star Wars: Episode VIII" is slated to premiere in theaters on May 26, 2017 while Abrams' "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens" hits theaters on Dec. 18. Meanwhile, Colin Trevorrow's "Star Wars: Episode IX" premieres in 2019.