What better day than Force Friday for what appears to be a confirmation of a major Star Wars: Episode VIII role, plus details on when shooting will begin. Just last month Benicio Del Toro confirmed an earlier rumor that he was in talks to play the villain in the Star Wars sequel, and he was pretty confident things were going to work out. While Disney and Lucasfilm haven't confirmed anything, Del Toro is talking about it like the deal is done.
According to a translation from Del Toro's interview with Spanish outlet Rac1.org, he not only appeared to be confirming his role, but also revealed a start date...
“Star Wars is coming up, we will see how that turns out. I think we start shooting in March.”
When asked about his role, Del Toro played it close to the vest...
“Ehhh, the thing is, they don’t let me talk too much about it. I’m like the villain. But we’ll see.”
So....they don't let him talk too much about it, but he can confirm he has the role? The uncertainty in his voice can be interpreted a couple of ways. Either he's unsure how to describe his character because he's not a true villain. Or, the deal isn't as locked up as he is suggesting.
If filming really does begin in March then it explains why casting rumors are already surfacing. A shortlist of actresses for the female lead emerged only days ago, there's bound to be more news soon. Rian Johnson will write and direct Star Wars: Episode VIII for release on May 26th 2017.
