While "Star Wars" fans are gearing up for the December release of the next installment in the new trilogy, "The Last Jedi," one titular star of the flick is reportedly looking ahead to a different big event: The 2018 Oscars.

In an interview with the New York Daily News, "The Force Awakens" director and "Last Jedi" producer J.J. Abrams is predicting some Oscar glory for none other than Luke Skywalker himself, actor Mark Hamill. According to the filmmaker, Hamill's performance in Episode VIII is every bit worthy of attention from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a notion with which the actor apparently agrees.

"I think we are all going to be very upset if he does not win an Oscar, and no one more upset than Mark," Abrams told the Daily News.

Hamill will make his triumphant return to the center of the action as Skywalker in "The Last Jedi," after remaining mostly absent for "The Force Awakens," in which he had gone into hiding. His character finally appears onscreen at the end of the film, as Rey (Daisy Ridley) finds his far-flung hiding place, and attempts to hand him his old lightsaber.

The actor recently joked about his awards chances in a Twitter exchange with fans, in which he posted a photo of himself in character alongside Abrams, imagining what "Oscar worthy" direction the filmmaker is giving him. That willingness to poke fun at himself is just one of Hamill's many talents, according to Abrams, who told the Daily News that the actor is "an amazing guy — he can do anything."

Whether that "anything" includes winning an Oscar remains to be seen, though it's not an entirely far-fetched notion (like, say, Vin Diesel's past proclamations about the "Fast and Furious" flicks' Best Picture chances). We'll keep our lightsabers crossed for Hamill.

[via: New York Daily News]