Until now, Star Wars Episode VII was always going to be written by Michael Arndt. Within two weeks of the announcement that Disney were buying Lucasfilm, and launching a new Star Wars trilogy, word came that Arndt was the man to tell the first tale, months before J.J. Abrams officially came on board.
But now a press release from the franchise’s official website reveals that Abrams and long-time Lucasfilm collaborator Lawrence Kasdan are assuming screenwriting duties.
There’s no indication from the release as to why, and whether or not Arndt will be credited on the film, though Lucasfilm’s President, Kathleen Kennedy, notes, “Michael Arndt has done a terrific job bringing us to this point,” which would perhaps suggest that at least some of the work he’s been doing for Star Wars Episode VII will remain in place for Abrams and Kasdan to build on.
Arndt made his feature debut with 2006’s Little Miss Sunshine, which won him a well-deserved Oscar. Since then, he’s gone to pen Toy Story 3, lend a hand on Brave, co-write Oblivion, and write the upcoming The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Needless to say, the credits he’s built since his debut have been very impressive, and it’s interesting to see that Abrams and Kasdan will now be taking over.
Kasdan co-wrote Star Wars Episodes V and VI, as well as Raiders of the Lost Ark for Lucasfilm. Abrams’ most recent writing credit goes back to his acclaimed 2011 movie, Super 8, and whilst I was looking forward to seeing Arndt’s take on the franchise, it should be nice to see Abrams’ work on paper again, especially since he’s going to be in the director’s chair.
Star Wars Episode VII is set to be released in 2015, with shooting expected to begin in the spring next year.
As Episode VII continues pre-production, Lawrence Kasdan and director J.J. Abrams have assumed screenwriting duties for the film. Kasdan, who has been serving as a consultant on the film, is a veteran of several classic Lucasfilm productions, writing the screenplay for Raiders of the Lost Ark and serving as co-screenwriter for The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Acclaimed director and screenwriter Abrams’ credits include Super 8, Mission: Impossible III, Fringe, and Lost.
“I am very excited about the story we have in place and thrilled to have Larry and J.J. working on the script,” states Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. “There are very few people who fundamentally understand the way a Star Wars story works like Larry, and it is nothing short of incredible to have him even more deeply involved in its return to the big screen. J.J. of course is an incredible storyteller in his own right. Michael Arndt has done a terrific job bringing us to this point and we have an amazing filmmaking and design team in place already prepping for production.”
Location scouting, production design, casting, and costume design are already underway on Episode VII. A team of gifted artists are working to bring the latest installment of the Star Wars saga, including director of photography Dan Mindel (Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness), production designers Rick Carter (Lincoln, Avatar, Forrest Gump) and Darren Gilford (Oblivion, TRON: Legacy), costume designer Michael Kaplan (Star Trek Into Darkness, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Fight Club), special effects supervisor Chris Corbould (Skyfall, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception), sound designer Ben Burtt (Lincoln, Wall-E, Star Wars: Episodes I-VI), re-recording mixer Gary Rydstrom (Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, Toy Story, Mission: Impossible -Ghost Protocol), supervising sound editor Matthew Wood (Star Trek Into Darkness, The Master, There Will Be Blood) of Skywalker Sound, and visual effects supervisor Roger Guyett (Star Trek Into Darkness, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith) of Industrial Light & Magic. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, with Tommy Harper (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Jack Ryan, Star Trek Into Darkness) and Jason McGatlin (Tintin, War of the Worlds) serving as executive producers. John Williams is returning to score Star Wars: Episode VII.
Shooting is scheduled to begin Spring 2014 at Pinewood Studios for an expected 2015 release.
