The first standalone Star Wars movie is coming in December 2016

The Star Wars news keeps on coming: On Thursday, Lucasfilm announced that the first of an expected trilogy of standalone movies set in the Star Wars universe will come out on Dec. 16, 2016 — a year after Episode VII hits the big screen — and will be helmed by Godzilla director Gareth Edwards. Gary Whitta, who penned Book of Eli and the screenplay for After Earth, has been assigned to write the script.

Not much else is known about the new Star Wars spinoffs — except that Disney is dead set on getting its money's worth for its $4 billion purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.