Hello, what have we here?
The Hollywood Reporter says that Billy Dee Williams will return to the role of Lando Calrissian in J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode IX. We’ve reached out to Lucasfilm for comment and or confirmation and will update if we hear back.
Lando’s whereabouts have been one of the biggest questions fans have had since the start of the sequel trilogy. He has not been mentioned in The Force Awakens nor The Last Jedi despite ending Return of the Jedi as one of the most prominent members of the Rebellion. And while he was definitely around before The Force Awakens (as explored in books such as Long Shot and Aftermath) his activities now remain a mystery.
Thankfully, fans have been able to scratch their Lando itch with the character appearing both on Star Wars Rebels (with Williams reprising the role) and in Solo: A Star Wars Story, played in a younger incarnation by Donald Glover.
Rumors of Williams’ involvement heated up earlier this month when he had to cancel an upcoming convention appearance because of a filming conflict. Since Episode IX is set to start filming later this month, that seemed like a logical explanation. And, it seems, that was the case.
With filming on the sequel starting soon, a full cast announcement is likely sometime in around early August. Episode IX opens on December 20, 2019.