Star Wars cast announced

After months of carefully guarded secrecy and endless speculation, the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII has been unveiled.

J.J. Abrams (top center in glasses) conducts a cast reading for Star Wars: Episode VII at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire. Clockwise from Abrams are Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, Producer Bryan Burk, Lucasfilm President and Producer Kathleen Kennedy, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Andy Serkis, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Adam Driver and writer Lawrence Kasdan. ReutersShow less

After months of carefully guarded secrecy and endless speculation, the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII was unveiled Tuesday on the official Star Wars website by Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Co. Starring in JJ Abrams’s new Star Wars are: John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Max von Sydow, Andy Serkis and Domhnall Gleeson.

The companies declined to name the characters each will play, though Driver is widely expected to be playing the film’s feature villain.

They join returning Star Wars veterans Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher. Peter Mayhew is also back as Chewbacca and Kenny Baker will reprise RD-D2. “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,” Abrams said in a statement. “We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud.” The film, which was confirmed to have done second-unit filming in Abu Dhabi a few weeks ago, is set for a December 2015 release.