‘Star Wars’ dream comes true for Lupita Nyong’o

Oscar-winning Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o has joined the cast of the new “Star Wars” movie, alongside the original stars of the legendary series, producers said. Also, John Boyega, 22, a British actor of Nigerian origin, snagged a role in the hotly anticipated flick, alongside ‘Game of Thrones’ star Gwendoline Christie will also appear in “Star […]

Oscar-winning Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o has joined the cast of the new “Star Wars” movie, alongside the original stars of the legendary series, producers said. Also, John Boyega, 22, a British actor of Nigerian origin, snagged a role in the hotly anticipated flick, alongside ‘Game of Thrones’ star Gwendoline Christie will also appear in “Star Wars: Episode VII,” which began filming last month and is due for release in December next year, they said.
Nyong’o, who won the best supporting actress Academy Award in March for her role in historical drama “12 Years a Slave,” had already been rumoured to be joining the “Star Wars” cast. Her casting and that of Christie — who plays female knight Brienne of Tarth in the hit TV series — were confirmed on the new movie’s official website.
“I could not be more excited about Lupita, John and Gwendoline joining the cast of Episode VII,” said Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, which was founded by “Star Wars” creator George Lucas and is now owned by Walt Disney. “It’s thrilling to see this extraordinarily talented ensemble taking shape.”
Producers gave no details on the characters the two actresses will play. A spokeswoman for Nyong’o also declined to give any more details.
According to TheHollywoodReporter.com, Disney recruited “Star Trek” and “Mission: Impossible III” director Abrams in a bid to re-create the magic from the original trilogy: “Star Wars”, “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi”.