As reported on StarWars.com, Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger announced Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) is on board to direct Rogue One, the first stand-alone Star Wars film set outside the current franchise’s storyline. The film, to be written by Oscar-nominee Chris Weitz (Cinderella, About a Boy, Antz) will star Oscar-nominated actress Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything) and is slated for a December 16, 2016 release.

According to the report on the Disney shareholders meeting, Rogue One is based on an idea from John Knoll, the Academy Award-winning visual effects supervisor and chief creative officer at Industrial Light & Magic. He will executive produce along with Simon Emanuel (The Dark Knight Rises, Fast & Furious 6) and Jason McGatlin (Tintin, War of the Worlds). Kathleen Kennedy and Tony To (Band of Brothers, The Pacific) are slated to produce with John Swartz (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) as co-producer.

Source: StarWars.com