Star Wars Episode 8 Director Teases Maz Kanata's Return

Production continues on Star Wars Episode 8, with director Rian Johnson and crew back in London following recent location work in Croatia. Johnson has posted an onset image on Tumblr that reveals the wise old alien Maz Kanata will be making her return. Check it out below:

Maz was one of The Force Awakens' few CG aliens, and was voiced by 12 Years a Slave Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o. Obviously nothing more is known about her role in Episode 8, which won't hit cinemas until December 2017.

This week, Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey in the new Star Wars movies, took part in a Facebook Q&A about the saga. During the chat, she spoke about how her approach to the new film differed from its predecessor. "They are two very different things," she said. "Episode 7 was like the beginning of the whole thing, and it was terrifying and incredibly rewarding, and I felt like I pushed myself beyond boundaries I thought I had.

"Now, I feel more together and I feel more present. I look at things and think, 'How are people going to react to that' because of the way that people have responded to Rey. I understand what people loved in Episode 7 and so I feel like I'm carrying that responsibility with me, which is nice because I feel like I'm more part of it."

Star Wars Episode 8 arrives in cinemas on December 15, 2017. It also stars Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Laura Dern, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, and Andy Serkis.