(Last Updated on March 19, 2014 by Editor)
Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o has had talks with JJ Abrams over a role in forthcoming Star Wars revival Episode VII, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Nyong’o, who picked up the best supporting actress prize for her feature film debut in harrowing race drama 12 Years a Slave earlier this month, is said to be in the running for the part of the female lead. The 31-year-old Mexican-Kenyan actor’s meeting with Abrams took place prior to the Oscars, at which Steve McQueen’s film also took home best film and best adapted screenplay.
Episode VII is expected to centre on the iconic trio of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo portrayed by Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford, though younger newcomers will likely move centre stage for future instalments. Abrams’s film is reportedly shooting from mid-May to September this year, mainly at London’s Pinewood studios, for a Christmas 2015 release. It will be the first Star Wars movie to emerge since Disney’s US$4,05 billion purchase of all rights to the long-running space saga.