Billy Dee Williams will resume his role as Lando Calrissian

Billy Dee Williams prepares to resume Lando Calrissian's course

The 81-year-old actor will resume his iconic role in Star Wars: Episode IX, d & # 39; after Hollywood Reporter . The next episode of the film series, directed by JJ Abrams, is scheduled for release on December 20, 2019, and filming is expected to begin this summer

Williams joins the franchise for his second opus, 1980's The Empire Strikes Back. His character, a friend of Han Solo, appeared for the last time in Return of the Jedi in 1983 before Donald Glover played a younger version of the most beautiful smuggler in the galaxy Solo: A Star Wars Story, released earlier this year.

Billy Dee Williams

Everett

Billy Dee Williams

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As revealed in the special issue of PEOPLE Star Wars: The Secrets of Solo Glover met the actor who created the role shortly after signing on the film.

charming, "recalled Glover. "I took what he said … and I amplified it."

The show-runner Atlanta is a big fan of the franchise that dates back to the first film, A New Hope. "My father came out of school for episode 1," he said. "We all looked at this as a family – it was a big deal."

Donald Glover

Jonathan Olley / Lucasfilm / Walt Disney Studios Images / Everett Courtesy Collection

The last reboot of the series Star Wars brought together some of the biggest stars of the original film, including Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and the late Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia).

will probably be new faces joining the universe for Episode IX – Variety Keri Russell reports is in talks to appear in the next film.