Is Tatiana Maslany the Lead in the 'Star Wars' Spinoff?

Last we reported, there were a handful of actresses being tested for a role in Gareth Edwards’ upcoming ‘Star Wars’ standalone film, including Tatiana Maslany, Rooney Mara, Felicity Jones, and Kate Mara. According to a new report, the ‘Orphan Black’ star hasn’t just been cast in the film, but she’s landed the leading role—if true, this news is doubly awesome.

According to Total Geeks, they’ve received word from a source close to production on the spinoff that Maslany has landed the leading role in the film. We’ve been anxious to see Maslany on the big screen following her incredibly impressive performances on ‘Orphan Black,’ but that’s not the only thing that gets us excited about the spinoff—what makes this even better is that Maslany has reportedly landed the leading role. Is this spinoff female-centric? That would be pretty amazing.

What seems to support this rumor is Maslany’s recent exit from Neil LaBute’s upcoming Off-Broadway production of ‘The Way We Get By.’ EW reports that Maslany has left the production due to scheduling conflicts, and has been replaced by Amanda Seyfried. ‘The Way We Get By’ is scheduled to debut on April 28, and the first ‘Star Wars’ standalone film is scheduled for release next December, which means Edwards & Co. will begin production in the next few months.

Of course, until Disney and Lucasfilm announce something official, we should take this with the traditional grain of salt—after all, The Wrap also recently reported that Maslany has been cast in the upcoming indie drama ‘Two Lovers and a Bear’ with Dane DeHaan. Still, keep your fingers crossed that this rumor pans out.

The ‘Star Wars’ spinoff hits theaters on December 16, 2016.