Star Wars 8: Disney CEO Bob Iger has seen The Last Jedi: 'A great next chapter in the iconic Skywalker saga'

The film doesn't reach cinemas until December

Following the release of Rogue One, excitement for Star Wars: Episode VIII has been slowly building, starting when Disney announced the film’s official title in January.

To much fan excitement, Disney CEO Bob Iger has revealed he’s seen an early cut of the upcoming main-saga instalment.

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi, otherwise known as Episode VIII, will open in December and I just saw it last week,” he said in a statement alongside the company’s Q1 earnings release.

“It's a great next chapter in the iconic Skywalker family saga. It will be followed by our Han Solo origin film, which is just going into production.”

Of course, Iger was never going to rubbish his own film this early on, but it's surprising to hear about a finished cut so many months before release: Star Wars fans will have to wait until the December to watch the final film in cinemas.

Director Rian Johnson recently revealed three films that were continuously referenced while making the film: Twelve O’Clock High, Three Outlaw Samurai, and To Catch A Thief.

While the trailer for The Last Jedi may not have been released yet, we’ve discussed when Star Wars fans can expect their first look at the upcoming film, which reaches cinemas 15 December.