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Jul 09, 2018 By Christopher Roberts Billy Dee Williams

Billy Dee Williams is returning to the role that made him beloved by fanboys worldwide, Lando Calrissian, in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode IX. The Hollywood Reporter reports that sources tell them that Williams in joining the production, which is gearing up to shoot this summer for a December 20, 2019 release date. Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) played a younger Lando Calrissian in the prequel Solo: A Star Wars Story, which came out back in May and disappointed at the box office.

J.J. Abrams, who helmed the first of the new Star Wars films, 2015’s Stars Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, is returning to the director’s chair for Episode IX after Rian Johnson took his turn with last December’s Stars Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, a film that divided fans. Episode IX sees the return of cast members Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver, among others, with longtime Abrams collaborator Keri Russell (Felicity, The Americans) joining the cast in an unnamed role.

With no chance of Harrison Ford or the late Carrie Fisher returning to Star Wars, and Mark Hamill’s upcoming role up in the air after the end of The Last Jedi, it makes sense to bring back another iconic actor from the original trilogy. Williams played Lando in 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back and 1983’s Return of the Jedi and since then has reprised the role as a voice actor in various animated series and video games. Williams has reportedly pulled out of an appearance at a science fiction convention in recent days in order to focus on the film.

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