Following last week’s news that the Star Wars spin-off that is set to be directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) has lost its writer, we now have word that the production is soldiering on and has begun casting. THR is reporting that three actresses are being sought for a leading role in the film, and they’ve revealed who they are. One is the star of BBC America’s hit series Orphan Black, Tatiana Maslany (pictured above). One-time Star Wars director candidate David Fincher’s muse Rooney Mara, who worked with the director on The Social Network and Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, is also said to be up for the role. There’s also Felicity Jones, who’s enjoying plenty of buzz at the moment for her work in the Oscar darling The Theory of Everything. 

As of now, the role is a mystery, just like the plot. Rumors have made the rounds since the film’s inception that it could be a western-style tale about intergalactic bounty hunters. There’ve also been whispers that it could feature a young Han Solo, or possibly a young Leia. What we do know is that a reading of Gary Whitta’s first draft was conducted in the UK, and the production has now moved stateside to start shoring up talent. 

Amongst the talent being sought is a new writer, since Whitta left the project after turning in his draft. The initial word was that Simon Kinberg was going to take over, but he’s knee-deep in not only co-writing the other Star Wars spin-off, but he’s also working feverishly over at Fox to create the shared cinematic universe that includes The Fantastic Four and the X-Men. 

According to the report, Maslany is currently testing for the secret role, while Mara will be testing for it later this week, with others lined-up as well. The unlikely candidate of the Top 3 is Jones, who may be too busy working on Ron Howard’s second sequel to The Da Vinci Code, titled Inferno, to take on another major film at this time. 

Who do you think they’re reading for? What would YOU like this spin-off to be about?

SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter