The work “Little Miss Sunshine” writer Michael Arndt began is now in the hands of JJ Abrams and Larry Kasdan.
LucasFilm’s Kathleen Kennedy announced Thursday that the duo has officially assumed screenwriting responsibility for “Star Wars: Episode VII,” which is building towards a much-anticipated release in the summer of 2015.
She did not provide an official explanation for the departure of Arndt, who Deadline says had also been working on treatments for the film’s two planned follow-ups.
Abrams had already been on board as the film’s director, while veteran screenwriter Kasdan co-wrote previous “Star Wars” films “Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi.”
“I am very excited about the story we have in place and thrilled to have Larry and J.J. working on the script,” says 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.”
Principal photography is due to commence this spring.