Star Wars: Episode VIII and IX confirmed for 2017 and 2019

Here's confirmation of something that had been widely assumed, but not inked in until this stage: Disney will be releasing the continuing Episodes of the Star Wars saga on an every other year basis.

This year, of course, we get JJ Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which stands as Episode VII in the Star Wars saga. Disney CEO Bob Iger has now confirmed in his shareholder's report that Star Wars: Episode VIII will arrive in 2017, and "we'll finish this trilogy with Episode IX in 2019."

Note his use there of the words "this trilogy." It would hardly be the biggest leap of logic to suggest that Disney and Lucasfilm will then get cracking on the next one once this one is done.

Rian Johnson is set to direct Star Wars: Episode VIII and IX, incidentally.

The plan remains for standalone films to fall in the intervening years. Thus, Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) is directing a spin-off 2016 Star Wars film, believed to be a heist movie set before Star Wars: Episode IV. Chronicle and Fantastic Four director Josh Trank is then set to direct 2018's film.

In Iger's words, "as one of the few people allowed to visit the set during filming….and one of the fewer who’s seen most of the footage…I can assure the millions of Star Wars fans who have spent the last decade hoping for a new movie this one will be worth the wait."

We hope he's right. Star Wars: Episode VII lands in cinemas on December 18th.