Star Wars Episode VII Adds Two Female Cast Members

Lucasfilm has just announced that actresses Lupita Nyong'o and Gwendoline Christie have joined the cast of Star Wars Episode VII.

Nyong'o won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress this year for her role in the critically acclaimed film 12 Years a Slave. Christie, who plays Brienne of Tarth on HBO's Game of Thrones, will also be in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, set for release in November 2015.

In a statement, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said, "I could not be more excited about Lupita and Gwendoline joining the cast of Episode VII. It's thrilling to see this extraordinarily talented ensemble taking shape."

Nyong'o weighed in on Twitter, saying, "I can finally say it out loud and proud: I'm going to a galaxy far far away!"

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