Why Was 'Star Wars: Episode 8' Release Date Pushed Back To December 2017?

After seeing "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in their millions last month, many "Star Wars" fans were glad they had only a little over a year to wait to see the next chapter in the sci-fi series, "Star Wars: Episode VIII." But now it appears they must hold out a bit longer to see what's next for Rey (Daisy Ridley), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), Finn (John Boyega) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). The next episode, which was set to be released in May 2017, has now been pushed back to December 2017.

According to the "Star Wars" website, the movie's release date has been pushed from May 26, 2017 to Dec. 15, 2017, nearly two years after the debut of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Entertainment Weekly reports that the rumored reason is "last-minute changes" to the script.

"Star Wars: Episode VIII" is currently in pre-production and will start principal photography in London in February. Rian Johnson will write and direct the film. The website said more updates about the movie will be released "in the coming weeks."

Although the wait for the next episode will be longer, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" has been a box office smash. The movie has made more than $1.8 billion worldwide and set a U.S. record for most money made in an opening weekend with $861.3 million.