Star Wars News Roundup

While we’ve just learned that the first Star Wars spin-off, Rogue One, will be shot with the hottest new digital camera on the market, the Alexa 65, which will be the high def versio of shooting in celluloid 65mm. While this is cool technical news, it’s even cooler to know that Forest Whitaker is the first actor signed on for Rogue.

As Collider reminds us, this one takes place between Episode III, Revenge of the Sith, and Episode IV, A New Hope. Rogue One has a current release date of December 16, 2016. Where Memorial Day was usually the date we could all expect a new Star Wars movie, now apparently that season is shifting to Xmas.

In other Star Wars news, Collider also tells us that female director Michelle MacLaren, who was going to direct the Wonder Woman movie, may also be up for the second Star Wars film, which currently needs a director. Josh Trank (Chronicle) was originally on board, but he recently left the project, and rumor has it that Jon Favreau (Swingers), and Matthew Vaughn (X-Men First Class) have also been considered to direct as well.

When Star Wars first came out, it wasn’t big with women, but that doesn’t mean a woman couldn’t do Star Wars justice. MacLaren could indeed be an interesting choice, and it would be cool to have Whitaker join the Force as well.