Star Wars: Episode VIII' Sets Director
UPDATED: "Looper" director Rian Johnson will direct the second new film and write a treatment for the third.
The Looper director is in talks with Lucasfilm to write and direct the next Star Wars film, Episode VIII, according to sources.
Contrary to reports that he will be directing the next two Star Wars film, Johnson will direct only Episode VIII, but he is writing a treatment for Episode IX.
Ram Bergman will produce Episode VIII.
Johnson has directed three feature films. His directorial debut, Brick, won the Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. He followed that up with 2008's Brothers Bloom and 2012's time-jumping sci-fi action-drama Looper, starring Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Johnson, repped by CAA and Lichter Grossman, also directed three episodes of AMC's hit series Breaking Bad.
J.J. Abrams is directing the first new film, Star Wars: Episode VII, which currently is shooting. It stars John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Lupita Nyong'o and Max von Sydow, who will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Kenny Baker.