Star wars: Episode viii eyes tatiana maslany, gina rodriguez and olivia cooke for fem

The search for the female lead in Star Wars: Episode VIII has reportedly been narrowed to three "top contenders": Orphan Black's Tatiana Maslany, Jane the Virgin's Gina Rodriguez and Bates Motel's Olivia Cooke.

"Insiders insist it’s early in the casting process and that (writer-director Rian Johnson) is still auditioning actresses, with several rising stars yet to read for him," according to TheWrap.

"Others suggest that Johnson is narrowing down the field and that Rodriguez, Maslany and Cooke will be among a group of girls slated to chemistry-read with The Force Awakens star John Boyega before the end of the month."

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Tatiana Maslany in Orphan Black.
Maslany was in contention for the lead role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story that Felicity Jones ultimately won. She's earned both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for her multiple-role performance on Orphan Black.

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Gina Rodriguez in Jane the Virgin.
Rodriguez won a Golden Globe for her title role in the TV series Jane the Virgin. Her other credits include Filly Brown, Go for It!, and The Bold and the Beautiful. She'll also co-star opposite Mark Wahlberg and Dylan O'Brien in the disaster drama Deepwater Horizon.

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Olivia Cooke in Ouija.
TheWrap also reports that Cooke, whose big screen star has been on the rise thanks to the hit film Ouija and the acclaimed indie Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, is also reportedly up for the female lead in director Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Ready Player One.

Oscar winner Benicio del Toro is reportedly up for the role of the villain in Episode VIII, which begins production in early 2016.