Star Wars cast confirmed as Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill return... and will be joined by newcomers Adam Driver, John Boyega and Daisy Ridley

The cast of Star Wars VII was announced on Tuesday by Disney and Lucasfilm on the movie's official web site

Star Wars vets Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill will all reprise their roles in the film due out in 2015



Adam Driver, John Boyega and Daisy Ridley are joining more seasoned actors Andy Serkis and Max von Sydow

Ridley tweeted, 'Overwhelmed by all the support. This is the greatest day of my life... it's exciting!'


After months of speculation, the cast of Star Wars VII has finally been announced.

On Tuesday Disney and Lucasfilm confirmed on the official Star Wars website that Girls star Adam Driver would take a part in the relaunched film as well as newcomers John Boyega and Daisy Ridley. Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson and Max von Sydow were also listed as cast members.

It was also confirmed that stars of the original trilogy - Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Kenny Baker - would also be in the film, which will be directed by JJ Abrams and released in 2015.

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Confirmed: JJ Abrams, (15) at the cast read-through of Star Wars Episode VII at Pinewood Studios with (clockwise from right) Harrison Ford (1), Daisy Ridley (2), Carrie Fisher (3), Peter Mayhew (4), Producer Bryan Burk (5), Lucasfilm President and Producer Kathleen Kennedy (6), Domhnall Gleeson (7), Anthony Daniels (8), Mark Hamill (9), Andy Serkis (10), Oscar Isaac (11), John Boyega (12), Adam Driver (13) and Writer Lawrence Kasdan (14)

A black-and-white photo of the cast and crew was accompanied by the announcement.

Casting for the new film, which will be the first installment since Disney took over the franchise from George Lucas, has been so secretive it has been compared to the plans for the Death Star.

It was first claimed by The Hollywood Reporter that Driver would play a villain in the film. In recent weeks it was speculated that Boyega (best known for Attack of the Block), and Isaac (who stood out in Inside Llewyn Davis) could be contenders.

They're back for more: Harrison Ford (left), Carrie Fisher (center) and Mark Hamill (right) from the original Star Wars films are returning



It was a blockbuster: The original cast members in 1977's Star Wars

Though it was reported on April 10 by The Hollywood Reporter that Maisie Richardson-Sellers could land the female lead in Star Wars VII, that role went to Ridley, a newcomer who has made mostly shorts films and popped up in only a few TV shows.

After the announcement was made, Ridley tweeted: 'Overwhelmed by all the support. This is the greatest day of my life. I'm told I can't say who I'm playing yet, but it's exciting!'



Domhnall is a Tony Award nominee who played Bill Weasley in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2.

Serkis has appeared in Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes and the Lord Of The Rings films. Von Sydow got an Oscar nomination for his work in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

She became a pinup thanks to the franchise: Carrie as Princess Leia in the 1983 film Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi (left) and with Mark, who played Luke Skywalker, in the first Star Wars movie (right)

Ever since the film was announced in November, it has been reported that many of the original cast members would make cameos.

It wasn't until Tuesday that it was finally confirmed that Harrison, aged 71, Mark, aged 62, and Carrie, aged 57, would definitely be back.

It was reported in March that Peter, aged 69, would reprise his role as Chewbacca.

The movie will hit theaters on December 18, 2015.

In March, Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger said the new project would begin filming in May and will be set 30 years after the events in 1983's Return of the Jedi.

The new faces: Girls star Adam Driver (left), British TV actress Daisy Ridley, (center) and John Boyega from Brit film Attack The Block and the forthcoming 24: Live Another Day, (right) are joining the veterans for the relaunch

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF STAR WARS: EPISODE VII CAST The Star Wars team is thrilled to announce the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII.

Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film.

Director J.J. Abrams says, 'We are so excited to finally share the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud.'

Star Wars: Episode VII is being directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, and John Williams returns as the composer.

It has previously been reported that Abrams was planning to cast unknowns in the new film, following in the footsteps of George Lucas's 1977 cast.



Prior to the announcement on Monday, Disney CEO Bob Iger had only revealed the return of one fan favourite.

'Rumour has it that almost every actor in the world has been cast in this movie, but so far, the official cast member that we've confirmed - the only one - is R2D2,' he said. 'There will be some very familiar faces along with a trio of new young leads.'

Rounding out the cast: Oscar Isaac (left) and Domhnall Gleeson (right) will take on smaller roles for the movie that starts shooting in May

Headed to London: Andy Serkis (left) and Max von Sydow (right) will reportedly film their scenes at Pinewood Studios

In early April it was revealed that some of the footage was already captured for the highly anticipated reboot.

'We're actually shooting some of it now. We're up against it,' Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn said.

And while acknowledging that casting had been the 'toughest' part of the process, Horn admitted there had been problems with perfecting the film's script.



'It’s all about the screenplay,' he said. 'It has to be screenplay, screenplay, screenplay.'



More vets back for fun: Peter Mayhew, who plays Chewbacca (left), Kenny Baker, the man in the R2D2 unit (center), and Anthony Daniels, who made C3PO a hit (right), have signed on as well

The stayed close: The main cast members in the 1983 film Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi

When quizzed whether the script was ready, Horn said: 'It actually is now.'

He confirmed the final draft was written by Lawrence Kasdan and JJ Abrams from an early effort by Michael Arndt. Kasdan co-penned The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi.

The movie will reportedly primarily be shot at London's Pinewood Studios.

Deadline reported that Harrison’s Han Solo character will be making far more than a cameo appearance and will in fact have a ‘gigantic’ role in the seventh episode.



Little else is known about the plot at this point, although Disney was said to be loosely using an original plot by Lucas, who is creative consulting, as an outline.

The people behind the scenes: Director JJ Abrams (left), Lucasfilm producer Kathleen Kennedy (center) and producer Bryan Burke (right)

Shooting in a place far, far away: Alec Guinness and Mark Hamill in the original Star Wars with R2D2 and C3PO; the new film will reportedly shoot in Abu Dhabi

Central to the plot: According to Deadline, Ford's Han Solo (left) will have a big impact on Abrams' version of Star Wars as will Hamill's Skywalker (right)

The plot is being speculated as Disney LucasFilm’s Kathleen Kennedy recently announced that the narrative will not be a pre-existing, one such as those in comic books that continued the story.



‘In order to give maximum creative freedom to the filmmakers and also preserve an element of surprise and discovery for the audience, Star Wars Episodes VII-IX will not tell the same story told in the post-Return of the Jedi Expanded Universe,’ she said in a statement.



‘While the universe that readers knew is changing, it is not being discarded. Creators of new Star Wars entertainment have full access to the rich content of the Expanded Universe.

The 'walking carpet' is back too: The cast of the 1977 film with Chewbacca, played by Peter Mayhew

STAR WARS: EPISODE VII CASTING ANNOUNCEMENT - SOCIAL MEDIA REACTION The cast:

Anthony Daniels: 'Apologies to all those fans at Calgary Expo who asked me about Ep VII. Keeping the secret in front of y'all was the hardest act I ever did.'

John Boyega: 'Honoured to join this amazing universe and thank you for all the support ....May the force be with you #SWVII' Daisy Ridley: 'Overwhelmed by all the support. This is the greatest day of my life. I'm told I can't say who I'm playing yet, but it's exciting!' Other stars' reactions: Josh Gad: 'I can't deal. It's actually happening. Geeking out.' Mike Shinoda: 'If you guys are wondering where I am, I'll be in line for Star Wars tickets from now until it comes out.'

Kyle Newman: 'Classic. Classy. @starwars Cast.'

Matt Berry: 'Congrats to Daisy Ridley for her Star Wars role. You need to realise that this is purely due to her appearance in Toast Of London last year.' Chris Gore: 'BREAKING! Donald Sterling cast as bartender who says, "We don't serve your kind here," in Star Wars VII.' Rob Delaney: '@starwars If Jar Jar's not in it, I'm not seeing it. #IStandWithJarJar.'

‘For example, elements of the EU are included in Star Wars Rebels. The Inquisitor, the Imperial Security Bureau, and Sienar Fleet Systems are story elements in the new animated series, and all these ideas find their origins in role-playing game material published in the 1980s.’

With Han apparently being featured heavily, the original idea that the script would focus on his children with Leia has slowly been squashed to leave the suggestion that Luke, Leia and Han will remain the central characters.



It is expected that another big announcement regarding the movie will take place on May 4, which is known to fans as Star Wars day.

Natalie Portman, Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor starred in the prequel Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999). Hayden Christensen joined the cast as Anakin Skywalker for Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith (2005).



The movie is set for a December 18, 2015 release.

They had big shoes to fill: Natalie Portman, Liam Neeson, Jake Lloyd and Ewan McGregor in the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

A young Darth Vader and Princess Leia: Hayden Christensen and Portman in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones (2002)