Eight months before the release of the hotly anticipated "Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens," Disney announced the release date of "Star Wars VIII" and the first spinoff film "Rogue One."

Disney and Lucasfilm announced the details for the upcoming two "Stars Wars" films at its annual shareholders meeting in San Francisco.

The company first confirmed that Rian Johnson will write and direct "Star Wars: Episode VIII" and it will hit theaters May 26, 2017. No plot details were revealed about the film and it is unknown if the cast members from the original trilogy (Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford) will return after their appearances in "Star Wars Episode VII."

The company also announced the title to Gareth Edwards' upcoming standalone film, starring Academy Award nominee Felicity Jones. The film will be called "Rogue One" and it is slated to start filming in London this summer. "Rogue One," based on an idea by Oscar-winning Visual Effects Supervisor John Knoll, was written by "Cinderella" scribe Chris Weitz and will open on Dec. 16, 2016.

The spinoff film will be produced by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy alongside Knoll, Tony To and John Schwartz. However, plot details for Edwards' "Rogue One" are unknown.

Edwards' spinoff movie is one of two known "Star Wars" spinoffs in the works at Lucasfilm and Disney. Director Josh Trank, who helmed "Chronicle" and the "Fantastic Four" reboot, is currently developing another top secret feature but nothing is known about the movie.

There is a lot of speculation about the spinoffs with some suggesting that they will focus on the early days of original characters Princess Leia and Han Solo.

However, it is still unclear how both spinoff features will play into the upcoming seventh chapter "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" or if they will be prequels to the original trilogy.

The J.J. Abrams-directed "Force Awakens" opens Dec. 18 and will also star Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, John Boyega and Adam Driver. The movie is set to take place 30 years after 1983's "Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi."

Director Johnson last directed "Looper," as well as "Brick" and "The Brothers Bloom." Jones was recently nominated for her role in "The Theory of Everything" and also starred in "Like Crazy" and "The Invisible Woman."

"Star Wars Episode VII" comes out 10 years after Episode III, which was released in 2005. The series is one of the most lucrative franchises ever and Disney is hoping "Star Wars" franchise is profitable after aquiring Lucasfilms in 2012 for $4 billion.

The studio is also planning to open "Star Wars"-themed attractions at Disney parks across the world. Disney hopes to make a new trilogy and continue to expand the universe.

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