'12 Years A Slave' Star Lupita Nyong’o And 'Game Of Thrones' Star Gwendoline Christie Join Cast Of ‘Star Wars Episode VII’

Actress Lupita Nyong’o and Gwendoline Christie are now officially part of the upcoming J.J. Abrams-directed “Star Wars Episode VII,” Lucasfilm announced on Monday.

Nyong’o, who won an Academy Award for the best supporting actress for her role in “12 Years a Slave,” has long been rumored to be part of the film, which is slated to release on Dec. 18, 2015. Christie, who is famous for her role as Brienne of Tarth in HBO’s hit series "Game of Thrones," and Nyong’o will be joined by original "Star Wars" actors Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill. Specific roles for the two actresses have not been revealed yet.

"I could not be more excited about Lupita and Gwendoline joining the cast of Episode VII," Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company's (NYSE:DIS), said in a statement. "It's thrilling to see this extraordinarily talented ensemble taking shape."

Other actors including John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson and Max von Sydow, are also part of the movie.

Meanwhile, Christie is also set to star alongside Jennifer Lawrence in “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2,” slated for a Nov. 20, 2015 release.

Nyong’o also took to Twitter on Monday to announce the news of her being a part of the film.

George Lucas' six-film saga will reportedly be followed by three new installments as promised by Disney. Disney has also planned to release a “Star Wars” spinoff film, which is described as a stand-alone feature. "Godzilla" filmmaker Gareth Edwards has been tapped to direct the spinoff and is scheduled to release on Dec. 16, 2016.