Rogue One: Standalone Star Wars film announced with Felicity Jones in starring role

Rian Johnson will direct Episode VIII while Felicity Jones will star in the first standalone Star Wars movie Rogue One

Rian Johnson has been confirmed as the writer and director for Star Wars Episode VIII, while the first standalone film has been named as Rogue One.

The news was announced this afternoon when Bob Iger, Walt Disney CEO, revealed the basic details at Disney's annual shareholders meeting in San Francisco.

The release date for the as-yet-untitled Episode VIII will be 26 May 2017, so you can pop that one in your diaries.

Elsewhere, Rogue One will be a standalone movie based on the Star Wars world that JJ Abrams is creating for The Force Awakens, due out in December this year.

It will be the first film in a unique series of movies exploring the characters beyond the central Star Wars franchise. Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) is on board to direct while Oscar nominee Chris Weitz (Cinderella, About a Boy) is writing the script.

The Theory of Everything actress Felicity Jones will star in Rogue One in an unknown role, with other cast members yet to be settled upon. It is due for release on 16 December 2016.