Abrams and Kasdan Take Over – Star Wars: Episode VII Has New Screenwriters

JJ Abrams brought a new breath of fresh air into the Star Trek franchise but now he’s turning his writing attention to its rival, fellow sci-fi series, Star Wars. As well as directing the film, Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, who fans will be familiar with as co-writer of The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi, have taken over as principle screenwriters on the upcoming intergalactic film franchsie Star Wars: Episode VII. The script was to be penned by Toy Story 3 writer Michael Arndt and it’s still not too clear as to why he has parted ways with the project. Writer Lawrence Kasdan "I am very excited about the story we have in place and thrilled to have Larry and JJ working on the script “said Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy in a statement. “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. JJ of course is an incredible storyteller in his own right” she continued. “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." Original Star Wars cast members Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill are all expected o return to the franchise. No plot details have been released. Star Wars: Episode VII is set to begin shooting early next year at Pinewood Studios, and is expect to hit cinemas in 2015.