Update:

And now word has come that Sam Claflin is "being eyed" for one of the starring roles in Rogue One . Claflin has appeared in films such as The Hunger Games franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Snow White and the Huntsman.

This comes from The Wrap , which emphasizes the ensemble nature of this film's cast. Original story follows...

Loading

Riz Ahmed in the film Trishna

Riz Ahmed, seen recently in Nightcrawler, is reportedly the top choice to play the male lead in the first Star Wars Anthology film, Rogue One.According to Variety , Ahmed "was among a group of young actors who had been meeting with [director Gareth] Edwards for the last month in London while the director prepped for the film." The site's sources say that Ahmed’s chemistry test with Felicity Jones, who has already been cast as the female lead, gave him the edge.The report also indicates that Australian actor Ben Mendelsohn (The Dark Knight Rises, Killing Them Softly) is now set to star as the main villain in the film. We had previously heard that Mendelsohn was up for a part in Rogue One, and now it sounds as if it's a done deal.Rogue One will be the first of the Star Wars Anthology films which take place outside of the new trilogy that begins with The Force Awakens. The story involves a heist by rebel fighters who are out to steal the plans to the Death Star. Jones will play one of the Rebels and it seems likely that Ahmed will as well if cast.The film starts shooting this summer in London and will be released on December 16, 2016.

Talk to Senior Editor Scott Collura on Twitter at, on IGN atand on