The Star Wars Episode VII cast is growing still with Lupita Nyong’o and Gwendoline Christie added. No details have been given on their characters yet, but the move does remedy some of the criticisms that the company was too male orientated.

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

Nyong’o made her name with her performance as Patsy in Steve McQueen’s Oscar winning film, ’12 Years a Slave’, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting actress. She has been rumoured to be part of the Star Wars team for a while, and was a surprise omission when the official announcement was made weeks ago. 

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Christie stars as the fearsome Brienne of Tarth on HBO’s smash hit fantasy drama, Game of Thrones. 2015 is set to be a big year for her; not only will she star in the hugely anticipated sci-fi franchise, she’ll also be seen on the big screen in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II. 

A significant proportion of Star Wars fans were dismayed by the dearth of female actors announced with the cast photo, which featured Carrie Fisher, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Max von Sydow, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Kenny Baker.

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Filming for Star Wars Episode VII has already kicked off in Abu Dhabi; director J.J. Abrams is working from a script penned by himself and Lawrence Kasden with the film set for release in December 2015. A spin-off, directed by Godzilla helmsman Gareth Edwards will hit cinemas a year later. 

Lupita Nyong'oLupita Nyong'o has joined the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII