Benicio Del Toro Offered Villain Role in STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII
Disney and Lucasfilm are in the process of moving forward with casting for Rian Johnson's Star Wars: Episode VIII. The Wrap is reporting that they have offered the role of a villain in the story to Benicio Del Toro. There's no information on who exactly he will be playing in the film, and there's no word on if he has accepted the offer or not.
There's still no information on what characters from The Force Awakens will make it into Episode VIII, but if Del Toro is cast he will potentially join the likes of Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, and others.
Apparently the studio was going for an A-list star for the role of this villainous character, and Del Toro, being the awesome actor that he is, will make a great choice. He's not new to the Disney family either, as you know he also played The Collector in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.
In a separate report at Variety, they add that the studio has also been meeting with Joaquin Phoenix for the same role. I think either of these talented actors would fit right in with the Star Wars universe, so I'd be happy if either one of them ended up being officially cast.
Star Wars: Episode VIII is expected to start shooting early next year and will be released on May 26th, 2017.