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Michael Arnt no longer writing Star Wars VII - now Lawrence Kasdan and JJ Abrams

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So when the credits iris out, it'll look like

Directed by JJ Abrams
Written by JJ Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan
Produced by JJ Abrams, Bryan Burk, Lawrence Kasdan, and Simon Kinberg.

It's entirely possible this is being changed so much that Arndt might not even get a "story by" credit.
 

kaiju

Member
Kasdan?!

Hell yeah.

JJ can jump in a pit though.

1378141904_sarlacc-pit.jpg
 

Ohwiseone

Member
Well this probably explains the no casting announcements at all. And all the stuff getting scrapped before D23 earlier this year.


I've read that they Scrapped the whole damn thing and started over, and they did this around Comic-Con in July.

All the auditions have been from the new script thought.

But still, That is a massive undertaking.

I still believe they are going to make 2015, but they to do CGI effect shots like as soon as humanely possible.

When all is said and done however, I really would LOVE to read Arndts Scripts.

all the information I got is from here: http://badassdigest.com/2013/10/24/arndt-off-star-wars-vii-kasdan-and-abrams-are-the-new-writers/
 
Actually, who is this?

Film blogger for BadassDigest. He's been talking about the behind-the-scenes problems regarding this project for awhile now, usually as asides in unrelated stories. The rumors about moving the release date, the rumors about JJ wanting off the picture. Those pretty much got sourced to him hearing about stuff.

edit: And yeah, he's got that article up that Ohwiseone just linked that says essentially the same thing everyone's hearing right now.

1) Abrams didn't like Arndt's script
2) Abrams wanted to focus on a different set of characters
3) That change prompted the entire trilogy outline to get overhauled, top to bottom.
 

IISANDERII

Member
I'm about to sign up for celebrity death pool and going all in on JJ Abrams. Dude ruined Star Trek and is about to ruin Star Wars; there's got to be several outstanding hits on this butcher.
 
I'm about to sign up for celebrity death pool and going all in on JJ Abrams. Dude ruined Star Trek and is about to ruin Star Wars; there's got to be several outstanding hits on this butcher.

That's like saying the apes "Ruined" the monolith by slapping at it in 2001.

It's a monolith. There is no "ruining" at this point.
 
Film blogger for BadassDigest. He's been talking about the behind-the-scenes problems regarding this project for awhile now, usually as asides in unrelated stories. The rumors about moving the release date, the rumors about JJ wanting off the picture. Those pretty much got sourced to him hearing about stuff.

edit: And yeah, he's got that article up that Ohwiseone just linked that says essentially the same thing everyone's hearing right now.

1) Abrams didn't like Arndt's script
2) Abrams wanted to focus on a different set of characters
3) That change prompted the entire trilogy outline to get overhauled, top to bottom.

uhhh.. that's ok but the OT actors should be in the films in some role.
 

Slime

Banned
Don't understand all the negativity. Kasdan wrote the best Star Wars film. This actually makes me more excited.

Shame to hear there's been trouble behind the scenes, though. Guess that explains the lack of info.
 
Hopefully the change means less fan-pandering and more focus on telling a good story first and foremost. People are quick to say Abrams will just want to go down the nostalgia-references route, but he's been pretty vocal about not wanting to make the film as a fan of Star Wars to be catered to, lest the film suffer. It has to be a film that can stand on its two legs whether it's a SW film or not.

I guess I'm also one of the few that was less than enamoured by Arndt's work on Toy Story 3 - which felt like one big rehash of TS2, without doing anything wholly daring or original in itself.

Abrams isn't a great screenwriter, but I think him and Kasdan can hatch out something good.
 

Mononoke

Banned
This thing is going to wreck dreams harder than Episode 1 did, isn't it?

Nah. It can't get worse than Episode 1-3. And honestly, say what you will about JJ's films, but they have all been much more competent than Lucas's recent work. Plus the guy that wrote Empire Strikes Back is writing this film. I'm not saying that automatically makes it great. But it's a good start.

Episode 1-3 were so awful, because it was written entirely by Lucas and directed him. He's never been a great writer (great ideas isn't the same as writing dialogue, and entire stories). I really don't get why people are acting like this is the worst news ever.

EDIT: Okay, to answer my own question. I guess some people were really looking forward to Arnt's take on the script. Fair enough. I didn't know there were that many people that felt that way. Personally, when I read that he was doing the first movie and Kasdan would be doing the next one, I wished Kasdan would have just done all of the new films. So this seems like a less of a big deal to me, and more of a positive.
 

thefro

Member
Film blogger for BadassDigest. He's been talking about the behind-the-scenes problems regarding this project for awhile now, usually as asides in unrelated stories. The rumors about moving the release date, the rumors about JJ wanting off the picture. Those pretty much got sourced to him hearing about stuff.

edit: And yeah, he's got that article up that Ohwiseone just linked that says essentially the same thing everyone's hearing right now.

1) Abrams didn't like Arndt's script
2) Abrams wanted to focus on a different set of characters
3) That change prompted the entire trilogy outline to get overhauled, top to bottom.

I'd presume that the Arndt script based on the Lucas outline would be overly focused on the Skywalker/Solo kids.

Abrams wanting to go in a different direction would be a great thing, since there's not much "Hero's Journey" you can do with the sons/daughters of legends/heroes. Not that they can't be characters, but they shouldn't be the main characters.

Kasdan wrote Raiders and Empire Strikes Back, and JJ Abrams is a pretty darn good writer in his own right. They can still use cool elements from Arndt's script and rework them.
 

Ohwiseone

Member
I still trust JJ and Kasdan.


I just really would love to know what JJ hated about the script.


However, does this mean that Kasdan will now write Episodes VIII and IX.


He was pegged just to do those Spin-offs Originally right?

However, Everyone seems pretty happy with Kasdan writing (or Re-writing) Episode VII. Just hope this isn't a situation in which they are writing pages as they are shooting.
 

Chojin

Member
As much as I respect Kasdan's work on ESB, he is also 64 years old. It's really rare for people to deliver remarkable work when they get to that advanced of an age. Maybe he's just being brought in to tighten up some trouble spots.

But Piers Anthony is 80 or something now and he... oh... I see.
 

Jarmel

Banned
I still trust JJ and Kasdan.


I just really would love to know what JJ hated about the script.


However, does this mean that Kasdan will now write Episodes VIII and IX.


He was pegged just to do those Spin-offs Originally right?

However, Everyone seems pretty happy with Kasdan writing (or Re-writing) Episode VII. Just hope this isn't a situation in which they are writing pages as they are shooting.

Kasdan was supposed to be writing VIII anyway so they'll probably just make him write all three, which is the correct solution.
 
hopefully they have been working on this script for a few months and they are happy with it, thus the news today so we can move forward with some kind of teaser.
 

Mononoke

Banned
Kasdan was supposed to be writing VIII anyway so they'll probably just make him write all three, which is the correct solution.

When they first announced these movies, I wondered why Kasdan didn't just do all three. So to me, this is good news.
 
Kasdan was supposed to be writing VIII anyway so they'll probably just make him write all three, which is the correct solution.

From what I understand, that's essentially what's happened: Whatever shape the trilogy is taking, it's taking via Abrams/Kasdan. Whether those three co-write all the scripts or not, essentially, the stories each film will tell are being decided by those two.
 
2016 release isn't out of the question now. Notice how the press releases have gone from a 2015 release to an 'expected' 2015 release. They're also now shooting in Spring 2014, as opposed to shooting in January.
 

mattiewheels

And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
OK, now I'm officially scared.
 

jtb

Banned
terrible terrible news. JJ is a shit storyteller and should have been relegated to little more than a director for hire.
 

inm8num2

Member
While I'm lukewarm to Ep. 7, if Abrams did scrap Arndt's story that can only be a good thing because Arndt was writing based off an outline that Lucas provided.

With Kasdan involved hopefully the toxicity that is George Lucas' storytelling won't plague the script.
 

Empty

Member
that's a bit of a shame. i thought the one positive thing about having a million new star wars films chucked at us was that we'd see new, unique interpretations of iconic worlds and characters. we all know what j.j abrams is going to do already and kasdan is there to bring more of the same, so it seems quite predictable and safe, whereas i'd like to have seen arndt's vision for the series.
 

Mononoke

Banned
terrible terrible news. JJ is a shit storyteller and should have been relegated to little more than a director for hire.

Why is it terrible? He's not writing the entire movie, and Kasdan (who did Empires) is basically writing this and is writing the next two completely. Seems to me, it was a smart move.
 

DjRoomba

Banned
its weird they would announce something like this. Its probably a manufactured news story soo some information is still coming out about this.
Or am I to believe that before the producers, JJ and the already announced Kasdan werent allowed any input whatsoever with Michael Ardnt, besides the fact it had already been reported they were all working together?

edit: ho boy at the comments in this thread 8|
 

WillyFive

Member
I somehow doubt that Abrams scripts themselves say "THERE IS A LENS FLARE"

http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Star-Trek.html

26E EXT. U.S.S. KELVIN - SPACE 26E

Two MASSIVE FLOODLIGHTS on the Kelvin's dish GO HOT -- and turn,
FLARING out the lens -- landing on the SHUTTLE as it leaves the
KELVIN, heading toward the imposing Narada.

http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Super-8.html

INT. BUILDING 47 - DAY (SUPER 8)

DARKNESS. Then a DOOR OPENS. It's DETECTIVE HATHAWAY (played
by MARTIN), in silhouette. He enters. It's an old WAREHOUSE,
dirty, cobwebbed, crowded with CRATES, old MACHINERY,
CHEMICAL BARRELS and JUNK. The Detective turns on his
FLASHLIGHT -- aims it -- sweeps it across the space -- the
light HITTING THE LENS for a moment.
 
That's a shame, although Kasdan is arguably responsible for making Star Wars the franchise it is. I would have loved to see an Arndt-penned film, though.

Does this mean we're not likely to see a teaser at the end of the month, like what was rumored? Or was the teaser always just going to be "yeah we're making it" with nothing from the actual production?
 
Hopefully the change means less fan-pandering and more focus on telling a good story first and foremost. People are quick to say Abrams will just want to go down the nostalgia-references route, but he's been pretty vocal about not wanting to make the film as a fan of Star Wars to be catered to, lest the film suffer. It has to be a film that can stand on its two legs whether it's a SW film or not.

I guess I'm also one of the few that was less than enamoured by Arndt's work on Toy Story 3 - which felt like one big rehash of TS2, without doing anything wholly daring or original in itself.

Abrams isn't a great screenwriter, but I think him and Kasdan can hatch out something good.
I wasn't fully confident in Arndt either for the same reason, but at least he has turned out decent things in the last decade.
 
that's a bit of a shame. i thought the one positive thing about having a million new star wars films chucked at us was that we'd see new, unique interpretations of iconic worlds and characters. we all know what j.j abrams is going to do already and kasdan is there to bring more of the same, so it seems quite predictable and safe, whereas i'd like to have seen arndt's vision for the series.

Because Arndt took Toy Story to new places when he regurgitated the story from Toy Story 2?
 
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