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UPDATE, 5:57 PM: LucasFilm confirmed today that Michael Arndt will be writing the next Star Wars movie. In a brief post on Starwars.com, the company said that Arndt, who wrote the screenplay for Hunger Games: Catching Fire and won an Oscar for writing Little Miss Sunshine, will be the only screenwriter on the first Star Wars movie since 2005′s Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith. Previously it looked like Arndt would be one of a number of writers on Star Wars Episode VII.
PREVIOUSLY, NOV. 8, 2:06 PM: Michael Arndt has written a treatment for not just one but the next three Star Wars films coming from Disney, Deadline has learned. The Oscar-winning Little Miss Sunshine screenwriter, who also penned Toy Story 3 and the upcoming The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, is also in line to work on the script for Star Wars Episode VII next year.
Related: Iger: Three New ‘Star Wars’ Movies Mapped Out; TV Plans Too
Arndt was brought on board by Lucasfilm months ago to put together ideas to take the franchise forward, a source with knowledge of the situation says. This was before the October 30 $4 billion sale of George Lucas’ company to Disney was finalized, The result was the “pretty extensive and detailed treatment for what would be the next three movies, the trilogy,” that Disney CEO Bob Iger referred to when the company’s acquisition of Lucasfilm was announced. Iger also announced plans for the new series of Star Wars films that day. “We’ve got a lengthy treatment that comes with this that we feel really good about and the film is in what I’ll call early-stage development right now,” the Disney boss said. Arndt is repped by the Verve Talent and Literary Agency.
Related: ‘Star Wars’ Returns — ‘Episode 7′ Slated For 2015 As Disney Buys Lucasfilm
Deadline's Dominic Patten - tip him here.
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Is he writting this before or after Lucas forces in his bad storylines and inane characters??
certainly those three projects definitely qualify him to do Star Wars. How a real sci fi writer or take the plot from the numerous books on the shelf?
Taking it out of Lucas’ hands is definitely the best thing you could do for the franchise. Empire Strikes Back is generally thought of as the best Star Wars film and it was written and directed by people other than Lucas.
Listen, I’m a huge fan of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. Like so many fans out there, I think it’s the best of the bunch. But have we taken it too far in giving all the credit to Irvin Kerschner, Lawrence Kasdan, Leigh Brackett, Gary Kurtz, and whoever else helped to make EMPIRE? To state the obvious, film-making is a collaborative process. Everyone turned in stellar work on that film. Carrie Fisher said “I love you,” and Harrison Ford improvised the immortal response “I know.” But they were playing characters created by George Lucas, in a story by George Lucas. So let’s give him a little credit.
Ah, the old fanboy mantra of discrediting Lucas’ involvement… If you think Lucas had little involvement with Empire, both in it’s writing & production, than you’re simply in Lucas-hate filled denial.
Spot-on.
In George Lucas’ defense. He asked Lawrence Kasdan who co-wrote the screen play for Episode 5 The Empire Strikes Back & Episode 6 Return of the Jedi to co-write Episode 1-3 but Kasdan turned him down.
The great Lawrence Kasden and directed by Lucas’ college film school mentor.. Irvin Kirschner.
When’s the treatment going to hit the internet? Come on writer’s assistant, get it out there…
this news coudn’t be better. Arndt is top drawer.
This is a really solid choice. I thought his work with Toy Story 3 was wonderful, respecting established characters and deepening their world. The same qualities would serve Star Wars very well. Over the last few years, Disney has built wonderful relationships with some very strong creative talent. I’m excited to see how this develops.
I’ve watched and re-watched his Pixar speech in which he breaks down the structure of Star Wars: A New Hope — he gets it!
Is the video you mentioned online? Could you provide a link?
Glad to see Lucas is putting this in the hands of a capable writer…
Lord knows there are very few of those these days.
Oh please. There are very few “capable” writers “these days” but there are huge and increasing numbers of brilliant directors and talented producers and gifted execs? Oh if only those brave and visionary executives could just find a “capable” writer to execute their bold creative visions!
Do you seriously think it’s the WRITERS that are dying to make re-hashed movies of board games and candy and 80′s sitcoms??? Please. Take your writer-hate elsewhere.
If a movie does well, it’s — the director’s brilliant vision.
If a movie does poorly, it’s always — the director working from a bad script.
You don’t understand. I invented the ‘Alien’ universe, not those pesky writers.
Bravo!
Disney will change their mind once Scriptshadow weighs in on this.
I really hope the story involves a older Luke Skywalker portraying a Kenobi like jedi knight thrown into another galactic struggle. I really don’t care to see old Han or Leia.
nor woul.d they care to be seen
No Jar-Jar Binks please.
Okay – let’s stop right here. Is this not the motherload of all dream jobs? I also feel like this guy deserves it. Michael, I pray your prior successes do nothing to diminish the feeling I can only imagine these facts would inspire. Like the critic in Ratatouille – not your movie, but another Pixar masterwork – being mentally transported back to his childhood, might such a gig do the same for you? I would love to know. Seriously.
Verve Talent Agency just got a future big payday.
Maybe I should switch to Verve
Balls of STEEL.
This guy has taken on the most career endangering task in Hollywood. There is no middle ground with Star Wars fans…it is either Brilliant, or they want to see you roasted on a spit. He will either be lauded as the guy who saved the franchise…or the next guy to be accused or raping someones childhood.
Good Luck Brother…
Spielberg would be a good choice for director, I believe.
–why not?He did at least half of Revenge of the Sith. Could you not see the difference from the first two….What about Christopher Nolan…let’s have an adult treatment for a change and the hell with the kiddies and their frickin toys.
Actually Lucas was a major writer the Empire Strikes Back (As much as any Star was film). Kasdan most definitely polished the dialogue (as he did on JEDI), but the scenes/structure/character beats (and alot of great lines and dialogue) were all done by Lucas in the 2nd draft. It was Lucas’s story. He only gave Brackett the screenplay credit (and took a “story by” credit only) because she died working on her draft. But Lucas basically discarded her work and wrote the next draft on his own. That’s the draft that basically ally ‘broke” the story.
Of course, Lucas is definitely no longer the creative “force” he was 30+ years ago.
Verve T ‘n A just keeps getting better ‘n better!
I can’t even hate on a pedigree like that. If anyone can pull this off its this guy. Godspeed.
“STAR WARS: Little miss Skywalker” : )
Disney plans to make Star Wars movies till the end of time, sensibly starting with the OT characters but certainly not finishing with them. We may see young Miss Skywalker yet,
You beat me to this wordplay. Gotta come up with another one now.
Jesus, listen to these nerds. If you sat through the prequel trilogy, you can sit through anything. This guy can’t do much worse. I, for one, am looking forward.
Hey, don’t forget they just released an Angry Birds Star Wars app!
Writer,
Here is just another example of great writers break in with smart indie scripts. Morons, Arndt didn’t wake up
Spielberg. Spielberg made things like Duel and Sugarland Express. When I hear wannabe writers ask me questions at the Festivals they all, well the morons, look to the comic book garbage, Tramsformers. I tell them write me a tiny character piece. We know you are good when you can do that. Look at every writer you idolize you know, JJ “Regarding Henry” Abrams, or M. “Wide Awake” Night, or Michael “Sunshine” Armdt. You see, morons, they wrote great little scripts you would never see at your local Landmark. How’s this? Take the four minute plane fx and Denzel out of Flight. You have William H. Macy and its playing at The Landmark and all you morons never see it. So they sell you the four minutes so you thing you are seeing Nic Cage in The Rock when what you really got was a movie about an alcoholic and a far better one in Leaving Las Vegas. I know there are lots of thoughts here but here is anhonestanswer. Look deeper than the Tramsformers title. Look deep and you’ll find a writer who got on the map with a small little script. That or look a little deeper and you’ll see a very rich kid with too many contacts. Go ahead. Research the writers you idolize.
Cheers.
You are so right. They can’t write any characters who are a mess inside, and instead cover it with explosions and chases.
Speaking of messed up characters, just saw Arbitrage and Gere was the most messed up character who that had me going all the way to the end.
Mike’s cool. He taught us how to write the Pixar way at Austin Film Festival. A Pixar education was expensive but worth it.
I hate that larry kasdan turned down writing episode 1,2 and 3. Lucas is an awesome storyteller and those were good stories that had some trouble with execution. At least the first two. Number 3 was actually pretty sweet. Anyway please just don’t hire joss wheelbase Disney. Brad bird would be awesome or the director of rise of the planet of the apes even cooler.
Im amazed at a thread of positivity on this site. Glad some people can hop off the LucasHaters bandwagon.
Here we go. I anticipate a budget of $350-$400 million for this film. Already, we’ve got an expensive writer working on it even before Disney really gets its hands on it. Say what you will about George Lucas, but he was able to deliver these movies for $100-$120 million because they didn’t require expensive stars, he could pay himself what he wanted, and there was actually no “development” process — it went from his notepad into production, for better or worse. These films were not designed to be made under Disney’s meddling studio process. This one is going to be extremely interesting to watch.
In what way is he an expensive writer?