"Star Wars: Episode VIII" has already begun filming, and the franchise announced Monday that there will be some new faces joining the force.
Academy Award winner Benicio Del Toro, Academy Award nominee Laura Dern, and newcomer Kelly Marie Tran are set to appear in the film alongside all of the returning cast members from "The Force Awakens."
Del Toro is well known for his Oscar-winning performance in Steven Soderbergh's "Traffic" and Dern famously starred in "Jurassic Park," but Tran is not as recognizable. She's appeared in a couple of independent and shorts films throughout her career and most recently starred in a College Humor sketch called "Periods Aren't That Gross":
No word yet on what roles the newbies will play in the newest episode, but we did learn another interesting tidbit from Monday's announcement: "Episode VIII" is expected to pick up where "The Force Awakens" left off -- literally.
The franchise released some behind-the-scenes footage revealing that the last scene of "The Force Awakens" will also appear in "Episode VIII." In addition, it was announced that filming commenced Monday in London.
As of now, the movie is slated for a December 15, 2017 release date. Watch the behind-the-scenes action from "Episode VIII" below:
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