We have some new potential details on the next Star Wars movie. The future, at least on the big screen, of the franchise is a bit uncertain right now following the release of Episode IX later this year. What we know for sure is that J.J. Abrams' conclusion to the new trilogy is being billed as the end of the Skywalker saga, meaning that whatever comes next will expand the franchise in a new direction. To that point, it sounds like the first entry in the Benioff and Weiss trilogy will do just that.

Before digging in, we should caution that this should only be regarded as a rumor for the time being, as it isn't coming directly from Lucasfilm. With that out of the way, a new rumor, coming from someone who is said to have worked on every Star Wars movie thus far, states that the next movie to go in front of cameras will be the first in Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss' previously announced trilogy. What's more, and this is the juicy bit for hardcore fans, it will take place in the Old Republic era. Here's what the anonymous source had to say.

"[I was] approached about working on the next movie this Autumn. It is not the Rian Johnson trilogy, it is the Game of Thrones guys' first movie, and it is set during the Old Republic, as Disney wants to open up the Star Wars timeline and appeal to a more 'Game of Thrones' style audience. So the timeline is hundreds of years prior to the Skywalkers, so think almost Star Wars meets Lord of the Rings. Filming starts in the Fall and art departments are in design phases now as the script is being finalized. That is all I know but I am 95% confident that this is accurate."

This is potentially very exciting. It's also not the first we've heard of this new trilogy taking place during the Old Republic era. For those who may not be familiar, this era spans thousands of years prior to even the prequel trilogy and showcases the early days of the Sith and the Jedi. It's rich ground for storytelling and would absolutely suit the sensibilities of the dudes behind Game of Thrones. It would also provide enough distance from any stories that have already been told in a galaxy far, far away to allow for a lot of creative freedom with the story.

There is a halfway decent chance we'll learn more about this project at Star Wars Celebration next month. Then again, Disney is going to want a lot of the focus to be on Star Wars 9, which hits theaters on December 20. If this movie does indeed begin filming in the fall, it's possible we could see it arrive as early as 2020. If this is actually happening we should be hearing a lot more on that front sooner rather than later. This news was first reported by Star Wars News Net.