Lucasfilm and Disney did a number of reveals and announcements at this weekend’s D23 Expo in Anaheim, including revealing the director for Episode IX; releasing a new poster for Star Wars: The Force Awakens; showing the cast and logo for the first stand-alone film, Star Wars:  Rogue One; and announcing large new Star Wars attractions in Disney theme parks and releasing concept art.   

Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow has been announced as the director for Star Wars:  Episode IX, the third in the new trilogy of interconnected films.  Rian Johnson will direct Episode VIII, which will be released May 26, 2017, 40 years and a day after the release of Star Wars:  A New Hope (see “Best in Shows – Q2 2017”).

Lucasfilm also released a new poster for Star Wars:  The Force Awakens, the first poster showing characters.  The art is by longtime Star Wars poster artist Drew Struzan.    

Click any image for larger view.

Lucasfilm released a logo and cast photo for Star Wars:  Rogue One (see “Male Lead Cast for ‘Star Wars:  Rogue One’), the first of the stand-alone Star Wars films.  At Star Wars Celebration, the stand-alone films (which will fall in the off years after the years in which the films in the new trilogy are released) were announced as “Star Wars Anthology” films (see “’Star Wars’ Stand-Alone News”); the new logo treatment uses the moniker “A ‘Star Wars’ Story.”  It’s not clear if this represents new branding or just another way to describe the standalone films. 

And Disney also announced gigantic new Star Wars attractions for two U.S. theme parks:  Disneyland in Anaheim, and Walt Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando.  At 14 acres each, they will be Disney’s largest single-themed land expansions ever.  Three pieces of concept art were released.

Each will include two signature attractions:  a new Star Wars planet which puts guests into a battle between the First Order and the Resistance, and a Millennium Falcon experience in which guests take the controls on a customized secret mission.

For the Rogue One cast photo and more theme park concept art, click on the gallery below.