Peter Mayhew, who played the famous wookie in the original Star Wars trilogy is to reprise the role in the upcoming J.J. Abrams-directed reboot.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Mayhew is the first of the original cast to join the movie project, confirming weeks of speculation.

Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford are all also expected to reprise their roles in the movie, which is scheduled for release in December 2015, but neither Disney nor Lucasfilm have yet confirmed their inclusion.