The release date of the next Star Wars movie has been moved seven months and will now debut Dec. 15, 2017, Disney and Lucasfilm said Wednesday.
Star Wars: Episode VIII was initially set to be released in the summer of 2017. Filmmakers decided to postpone its release following the “extraordinary success” of The Force Awakens, which was the first in the franchise to premiere outside the traditional summer blockbuster window. The movie broke several records, including biggest domestic and global debuts of all time.
Episode VIII is currently in pre-production, officials said. Filming will begin in London next month, with Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams as one of its executive producers.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- For People With Disabilities, Losing Abortion Access Can Be a Matter of Life or Death
- Inside the Clandestine Efforts to Smuggle Starlink Internet Into Iran
- How to Help the Victims and Community After the Monterey Park Shooting
- The Biggest Snubs and Surprises of the 2023 Oscar Nominations
- Talking Less Will Get You More
- Kamala Harris Subtly Emerges as Powerful White House Asset
- How Avatar: The Way of Water Became the 6th Movie in History to Make $2 Billion
- Is There Really No Safe Amount of Drinking?
- How Our Cells Strategize To Keep Us Alive