The Force is adding a few actresses to its cast.
The producers of the now-in-production Star Wars: Episode VII have announced that Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o and Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie have joined the cast.
Nyong’o won her Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the critically acclaimed Best Picture-winning 12 Years a Slave.
Christie comes with plenty of genre credibility, having played Brienne of Tarth on HBO’s massively successful fantasy series. She also will be seen as Commander Lyme in the upcoming two-part adaptation of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay.
No word on the roles these actresses will play, but the addition of a few more female faces in the Star Wars world will certainly be welcome news to fans.
They will join John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson and Max von Sydow in playing new roles in the sequel. They join returning original trilogy stars Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Kenny Baker.
Star Wars: Episode VII is being directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing and John Williams returns as the composer. The movie opens worldwide on Dec. 18, 2015.
