'Star Wars' Episode 8 News: Benicio Del Toro, Laura Dern & Kelly Marie Tran Join Cast

Days after last year's Star Wars: The Force Awakens broke the $2 billion barrier in worldwide box office, production for the film's sequel, the still-unnamed Episode 8, moves forward. Now, the first new casting announcements are being made: Laura Dern and Kelly Marie Tran have joined the Rian Johnson film along with Benicio Del Toro, who'd been rumored around a role for months.

The new cast additions were announced through the official Star Wars website, as the Disney Lucasfilm company revealed that production for the new film has officially started. Short of Harrison Ford, it seems like all the members of the Force Awakens cast are coming back for the sequel, plus the newcomers.

"Rey took her first steps into a larger world in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and will continue her epic journey with Finn, Poe, and Luke Skywalker in the next chapter of the continuing Star Wars saga, Star Wars: Episode VIII, which began principal photography at Pinewood Studios in London on February 15, 2016," reads the press release.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Del Toro, who had previously spoken publicly about being up for a role in the film, has already revealed that his character is more on the Dark Side of the Force than anything else. Interestingly enough, this will be Del Toro's second time in a major Disney franchise; he also plays The Collector in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having appeared in Thor: The Dark World and Guardians of the Galaxy.

In any case, as far as Dern's character is concerned, fans can do very little other than to theorize. Considering the second film of the new trilogy might delve deeper into who main character Rey (Daisy Ridley) is, the Oscar-nominated actress could be playing her mother.

Tran's character comes as a complete mystery, though it must be fairly important for her to deserve a place alongside veterans Del Toro and Dern. In the past, the actress has participated in numerous College Humor shorts as well as two episodes of About a Boy.