After weeks and weeks of rumors, we finally have our female lead for the Gareth Edwards Star Wars stand-alone film. Oscar-nominated actress Felicity Jones, who is nominated for her portrayal of Jane Hawking in The Theory of Everything, has been chosen by Lucasfilm and Disney as their leading lady. Jones beat out other actresses that were attached to the role, including Rooney Mara, Tatiana Maslany and Kate Mara.
It's unknown what character Felicity Jones will be playing, and the plot of the film is still unknown, but there have been rumors that the film will be about a group of bounty hunters tasked with stealing the plans to the Death Star. The first of three planned Star Wars spin-off movies has Gareth Edwards directing and Chris Weitz writing. The second spin-off film has Fantastic Four reboot director Josh Trank at the helm.
The first stand-alone Star Wars film has a release date of December 16, 2016 — a year after the December 18, 2015 release date of Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens.
