Los Angeles - UPI
Felicity Jones, Rooney Mara and Tatiana Maslany are being considered for a Star Wars spin-off.
The actresses are auditioning for the female lead in the first of two stand-alone movies, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Jones may have a scheduling conflict with The Da Vinci Code sequel Inferno, but Mara and Maslany will test this week.
Godzilla director Gareth Edwards will helm the feature, which is scheduled for release December 16, 2016. The Book of Eli screenwriter Gary Whitta left the project last week, but declared, "The film is going to be amazing."
Plot details about the spin-offs are being kept tightly under wraps, but Chronicle director Josh Trank is slated to helm the second movie for release in 2018. The films are rumored to be origin stories and possibly focus on Boba Fett, Han Solo or Yoda.
Jones recently starred as Jane Hawking in The Theory of Everything, and will appear with James Franco and Jonah Hill in True Story. Mara will reprise Lisbeth Salander in The Girl Who Played with Fire, while Maslany currently portrays Sarah Manning on BBC America series Orphan Black.