Awesome: Lupita Nyong’o and Gwendoline Christie Join Star Wars Episode 7

Gwendoline Christie

Lupita Nyong'o

Remember how the first cast photo of Star Wars Episode VII was mostly men? Well men:women ration just got a little better: Oscar Winner Lupita Nyong’o and game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie have both just joined the cast.

This is good news not only because the movie will be less of a sausage party but also because Nyong’o and Christie are both great actresses. I just hope that they have actual character arcs (and aren’t just love interests).

Here’s the official release from StarWars.com

Lupita Nyong’o joins the recently announced cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. This year, her breakthrough performance in 12 Years a Slave earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Gwendoline Christie, currently starring in the hit television series Game of Thrones as Brienne of Tarth, has also been cast in the production. She can next be seen in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2.

“I could not be more excited about Lupita and Gwendoline joining the cast of Episode VII,” says Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. “It’s thrilling to see this extraordinarily talented ensemble taking shape.”

Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the Saga Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film.

Star Wars: Episode VII is being directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing and John Williams returns as the composer. The movie opens worldwide on December 18, 2015.