There have been some exciting updates in the development of Episode VII of Star Wars. The first, is that screenwriter Michael Arndt has left the project and that the writing has been taken over by Lawrence Kasdan and JJ Abrams. According to Starwars.com:
"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."
This is good news all around. First of all, Kasdan wrote 'The Empire Strikes Back'. Many critics agree that Empire was the best film of the original trilogy. Kasdan can be seen below on the left, along with George Lucas and Mark Hamill:
Secondly, Kasdan wrote 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'. This, in my opinion, is the best Indy film of the three (yes, there are only three real Indy films). It has the elements that make a film endearing. It's just plain old fun to watch.
So what does this mean for the new Star Wars? It means that it's going to be great.
Other news in the Star Wars universe this week: the main crew for the production of the film has been revealed! Let's take a look.
Director of photography will be Dan Mindel, South African-born American Society of Cinematographers member who has previously collaborated with Abrams on Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek, and Star Trek Into Darkness.
Sound designer Ben Burtt will be back as well. He worked with George Lucas on the sounds for all of the Star Wars films and the Indiana Jones adventures. Not only did he create the voice of the droids but also helped Spielberg design the voice of E.T. and was the voice of WALL-E and M-O in Pixar’s WALL-E. He has a long history with Kathleen Kennedy, George Lucas and also JJ Abrams, having previously collaborated with JJ on Star Trek, Super 8 and Star Trek Into Darkness.
Visual effects supervisor Roger Guyett of Industrial Light & Magic got his start on the Kathleen Kennedy/Steven Spielberg produced animated film We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story. His credits include Casper, Twister, DragonHeart, Mars Attacks, Saving Private Ryan, the Harry Potter films, Mission: Impossible III, the last two Pirates of the Caribbeanfilms, and Cowboys & Aliens.
And previously announced, John Williams is returning to score Star Wars: Episode VII after providing the music for the prior installments. No credit listing needed.
That's a pretty exciting list! I can't wait to see what they all come up with! Stay tuned for more.
