Star Wars cast announced – Luke, Leia and Han are back, and they have company

Let the hype officially begin. Ultra-secretive director J.J. Abrams released a statement and photo (see below) today from the first table reading of the script for Star Wars Episode 7 with the main cast of the highly anticipated, and as yet untitled, sequel to the blockbuster space saga.

The main cast of Star Wars Episode 7 reading the script with director J.J. Abrams this morning in London.

As expected, original stars Harrison Ford, Carrie Fischer and Mark Hamill will return as Han Solo, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker, roles that took them from Hollywood obscurity to lunchboxes and toy bins across the world 30 years ago. Joining them will be the following:

The previously rumored Adam Driver, mostly known for HBO’s Girls) in an alleged villain role.

Inside Llewyn Davis and Drive star Oscar Isaac. The Latin actor is one of the hottest names in Hollywood right now.

Veteran Swedish actor Max Von Sydow, known for many roles including the priest in the original The Exorcist.

Andy Serkis, a master motion-capture specialist, who portrays Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies and Caesar in the new Planet of the Apes franchise.

While it would be an interesting change of pace to see Serkis in a human or live action role (he was great in Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige), given his skills with motion-capture, it’s almost a lock that this new chapter of Star Wars will feature an all-computer generated alien sidekick of some kind. Speaking of sidekicks, where Han goes, so goes Chewbacca, and the Wookee’s original performer, Peter Mayhew, is back for the film, along Anthony Daniels returns as jabber-mouthed robot C-3PO.

Additional cast announced include relative newcomers like English television actress Daisy Ridley—could the fact that she’s seated in between Ford and Fisher at the read-through indicate she is playing Han and Leia’s daughter—Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson (Bill Weasely in the final Harry Potter films) and John Boyega (Attack the Block) who will also co-star in next month’s new season of 24.

Has English actress Daisy Ridley been cast as the daughter of Han and Leia?

Episode 7 is set to begin principal photography in London in a few weeks, though some background and plate shots have already been captured in Morocco, near where footage has been traditionally shot for Luke Skywalkers home planet of the desert world Tatooine. Despite Abram’s secrecy, some more information—perhaps a title?—and even official cast photos are bound to trickle out before long. The film is slated for release December 18, 2015.