STAR WARS: EPISODE VII - 5 Actors Up for Lead Role

J.J. Abrams has been meeting with several young actors for Star Wars: Episode VII, and now Variety has revealed five actors currently in the running, and they are Downton Abbey actor Ed Speleers, Attack the Block star John Boyega, Friday Night Lights star Jesse Plemons, and theater actors Matthew James Thomas, and Ray Fisher.

Apparently the search is still on so anything can still change at this point. These actors are currently on the top of the list. There are no details on who the character is, but there's speculation that it's for a Jedi apprentice. I'm still rooting for Plemons.

The report also says that the "reason for the delay has to do whether execs and creatives want someone of a different ethnicity from the previous Caucasian leads. Abrams has said on numerous occasions that he wants to have a diversified cast, which is why actors like David Oyewolo and Michael B. Jordan tested early on."

The movie will start shooting the movie in the late second quarter or early third quarter at London’s Pinewood Studios. It's scheduled to be released in theaters on December 18th, 2015.