Lupita, ‘Game of Thrones’ star join ‘Star Wars’ cast
By Nick Levine
Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave actress Lupita Nyong’o has joined the cast of the new Star Wars movie.
British actress Gwendoline Christie – who plays Brienne of Tarth in HBO’s Game of Thrones – has also landed a role in the eagerly-anticipated film, whose official title is Star Wars: Episode VII.
“I could not be more excited about Lupita and Gwendoline joining the cast of Episode VII,” said Kathleen Kennedy, president of makers Lucasfilm, in a statement.
“It’s thrilling to see this extraordinarily talented ensemble taking shape.”
Nyong’o and Christie join a cast that includes original Star Wars favourites Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Antony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Kenny Baker.
They will be joined in the new movie by Girls actor Adam Driver, Inside Llewyn Davis‘s Oscar Isaac, John Boyega (Attack the Block), Domhnall Gleeson (About Time), up-and-coming British actress Daisy Ridley, Swedish acting legend Max von Sydow and motion-capture specialist Andy Serkis.
Star Wars: Episode VII is set for release on December 18, 2015. JJ Abrams (Lost, Star Trek) is directing and co-wrote the script with Lawrence Kasdan, who also worked on two films in the original Star Wars trilogy.
At the end of last month (April), the Star Wars website shared a photo of the cast – minus new additions Nyong’o and Christie – at a script read-through at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire – see it here.