The summer of 2017 just got a lot longer. Walt Disney Pictures and Lucasfilm announced on Wednesday that the release date for “Star Wars: Episode VIII” will be pushed from May to Dec. 15, 2017.
The delay and holiday release mirrors exactly what happened to “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” a record-shattering little movie that currently sits at $1.8 billion in worldwide box office revenue.
“Episode VIII” will be directed by Rian Johnson, and according to starwars.com, is currently in preproduction with principal photography set to begin in London next month.
Johnson tweeted a cute reaction timed to the news of a holiday opening.
— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) January 20, 2016
Fans anxious about having to wait a little longer should remember that the first Star Wars spinoff, “Rogue One,” is still scheduled for release in December of this year.
