{"id":36369,"date":"2015-07-21T19:46:38","date_gmt":"2015-07-21T23:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.filmbuffonline.com\/FBOLNewsreel\/wordpress\/?p=36369"},"modified":"2015-07-21T19:46:38","modified_gmt":"2015-07-21T23:46:38","slug":"benicio-del-toro-offered-villain-role-for-star-wars-episode-viii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.filmbuffonline.com\/FBOLNewsreel\/wordpress\/2015\/07\/21\/benicio-del-toro-offered-villain-role-for-star-wars-episode-viii\/","title":{"rendered":"Benicio Del Toro Offered Villain Role For STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"BenicioDelToro\"<\/a><\/p>\n

With the release of Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens<\/strong> looming ever closer, it is time, I suppose, to start looking towards the next installment of the saga, Episode VIII<\/strong>, and what it might have in store. For starters, it looks as if there will be a new bad guy for the next generation of heroes to face off against, as The Wrap<\/a> is reporting from numerous sources that Benicio Del Toro has been offered the role of the film’s villain.<\/p>\n

There’s no word as to whether or not the Academy Award-winning actor will take it, but Variety<\/a> is reporting that Lucasfilm and Disney already offered the role to Joaquin Phoenix, who passed.<\/p>\n

This is not the first time that Del Toro has been offered a role in an iconic science-fiction franchise. Previously, he was in consideration for the role of Khan in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek Into Darkness<\/strong> for a brief period before he pulled out.<\/p>\n

Looper<\/strong> helmer Rian Johnson is handling the directorial duties for the sequel which is expected to start shooting early next year for its May 26, 2017 release.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Oscar-winner may be heading to a galaxy far, far away…<\/div>\n

[click for more]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[84],"tags":[5085,5869],"series":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-36369","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-news","7":"tag-benicio-del-toro","8":"tag-star-wars-episode-viii"},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t