After much online speculation, LucasFilm confirmed that Toy Story 3 screenwriter Michael Arndt will write the screenplay for Star Wars: Episode VII.
Following the sale of LucasFilm to Disney, Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas are now working with Michael Arndt on the story for Star Wars: Episode VII.
It was confirmed this week that Arndt already has a 40 to 50 page treatment for the new Star Wars film and that potential directors will soon be able to read the first phase of the story.
In a roundtable interview at StarWars.com following the sale of LucasFilm to Disney, George Lucas stated that he’ll still be part of the project in a lesser capacity. Although he won’t be making the new Star Wars trilogy himself, he’ll still be involved to help with the script. “There are a lot of blank spots in the story treatment,” Lucas confessed, “that hopefully we can fill in.”
Now that Michael Arndt is on board, we now know that he’ll be working with Lucas to fill in those blanks. An Oscar winning writer for Little Miss Sunshine, Michael Arndt also wrote Toy Story 3 and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
As for a possible director, Kathleen Kennedy revealed that they’re eying someone who’s familiar with the Star Wars universe. “It’s not going to be people who don’t already have an affinity for Star Wars,” said the new LucasFilm head. “It’s going to be somebody who really appreciates what Star Wars meant to them.”
In looking ahead to the script-writing process, Kathleen Kennedy shared more insight into how George Lucas will be involved.
“As we work our way through these scripts,” Kennedy continued, “if we’re sitting there saying, I wonder if this character can do that, or does this make sense within the rules of Star Wars? [George] is the keeper of the flame when it comes to that.”
Interestingly, Lucas agreed with Kennedy on his role going forwward with the new scripts.
“It’s the same thing with the first three films,” said Lucas, “that’s all my job is, is to be the keeper of the flame.”
How do you feel about Michael Arndt as the writer of Star Wars: Episode VII?