Star Wars: Episode VIII is Going To Be "Weird", Promises Screenwriter

Now that J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens has set out the bare bones of the plot, the stage is set for Looper director Rian Johnson to take the rest of the saga's story wherever he wants with Episodes 8 and 9. He's been hired to write the screenplay for both.

Star Wars screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, who returned for The Force Awakens, is highly excited for the new direction he expects Johnson to take.

"These movies will all be so different," he told The LA Times earlier this month, ["Episode VIII" director] Rian Johnson is a friend of mine — he's going to make some weird thing."

"If you've seen Rian's work, you know it's not going be like anything that's ever been in Star Wars. "You couldn't have three more different people than J.J., Rian and Colin [Trevorrow, Episode IX director]."

Filling the gaps between each Episode of the sequel trilogy, there will be standalone films beginning with the Death Star heist action movie Rogue One.

Expectation will be the highest for the Han Solo prequel, which is expect to be released in 2018.

"Those movies will have the Star Wars saga as their basis, but everything else will be different," Kasdan said. "Then Phil Lord and Chris Miller are going to make the Han Solo film and I can't guess what that will be like — and I'm writing it!"

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is now showing in theaters. Check out the list of box office records it broke here.