‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ Announces Its Cast

Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Domhnall Gleeson, Max von Sydow and CGI acting wiz Andy Serkis comprise the much-anticipated cast of Star Wars: Episode VII, the franchise announced Tuesday. They will also be joined on screen — as many speculated — by the cast of the original trilogy: Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) and Kenny Baker (R2-D2).

“We are so excited to finally share the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII,” director J.J. Abrams wrote on the film’s website. “It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud.”

The official announcement comes after months of speculation, as well as a series of open casting calls in the U.S., U.K. and online. Along with directing, Abrams is penning the script with Lucasfilm vet Lawrence Kasdan, taking over for original scribe Michael Arndt. The film is slated to open worldwide on December 18th, 2015.