Tag Archives: Michael Arndt

Abrams and Kasdan assuming Episode VII screenwriting role. Arndt out?

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Well this is certainly something. Maybe this is cause for alarm, maybe it isn’t. We don’t know much more beyond this little bit of information:

This was confirmed a few minutes later on the official site.

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.”

What exactly this means is a mystery right now. Does this mean that Abrams and Kasdan have Michael Arndt’s screenplay in hand and are in the polishing stage, or does it mean that Arndt is out?

So we know a little more than we did before about Episode VII, but as often happens with these things we’ve now got even more questions and concerns.

Tosche Station Radio #36: Authenticity

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The hosts are back and there’s more Episode VII news to discuss in this week’s Tosche Station Radio!

Kicking off the show, Nanci highlights what’s new on the blog. Brian wrote a pair of columns looking into the Big Frakking Sale with a look at what it could mean for the Expanded Universe and the future of Star Wars in general. Bria reviewed the first Captain Marvel arc. Nanci re-read the Jedi Prince books. Meanwhile, Bria’s re-reading her collection of Expanded Universe novels. Emily reviewed Billy Dee Williams’ appearance on NCIS. Nanci introduced a new feature called Bake It So and the first recipe featured was “Come to the dark side, we have chocolate cake.” Bria reviewed The Old Republic: Annihilation by Drew Karpyshyn. The hosts talked about Cosplay Appreciation Day and the awful double-standards applied to female fans.

In Fixer’s Flash, Nanci’s been keeping herself busy by going on cross-country trips and writing a novel for Nanowrimo. She also appeared on the Wrong Opinions About Movies podcast to discuss the big Lucasfilm sale. Nanci’s week was made when she was officially accepted into the Rebel Legion! Meanwhile, Brian has been reading a book and not making appearances on other people’s podcasts.

Deak’s Dirt and Camie’s Concerns are combined this week as the hosts tackle more Star Wars news and discussion. We now know who the screenwriter for Episode VII will be. What does all of this mean for the Expanded Universe? Will the Big Three return? Just what is Lucasfilm up to?

Wrapping up the show, the hosts answer questions in their Ask Us Anything segment.

Tosche Station Radio is the official podcast of Tosche-Station.net and a part of the Solo Sound network. If you like what you hear, please leave a review on the iTunes Music Store or the Zune Marketplace. We can also be found on Facebook, Google+, and Twitter.

Nanci and Brian are the co-founders and writers of Tosche-Station.net. You can find Nanci on Twitter with the handle @Nancipants and you can find Brian with @LaneWinree.

Episode VII Writer Confirmed

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Since certain people attached to this blog are off having fun this weekend, it falls to me to report what Club Jade reported yesterday: the rumors are true: Micheal Aredt, screenwriter of Toy Story 3 and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will be writing Episode VII. For more information, you can see our previous post about Aredt and the rumors.

What I find particularly interesting about this is my memory of Toy Story 3; I bawled for almost an hour straight after seeing that film, and anything from The Hunger Games is likely to be similarly particularly emotionally wrenching. Could the choice of Aredt for Episode VII suggest a more philosophical, more pathos-based approach to Star Wars?

Rumor: Toy Story 3 Screenwriter In Consideration for Episode VII

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As always, the usual caveats apply when an “informed insider” reports anything to an entertainment rag, but Vulture is reporting that Michael Arndt has put together a 40-50 page treatment for Episode VII.

Informed sources tell Vulture that Star Wars: Episode VII has found a leading candidate to write the film’s screenplay: Michael Arndt, the Pixar favorite who was nominated for an Oscar for Toy Story 3, won an Oscar for Little Miss Sunshine, and wrote The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which is currently shooting. Insiders confirm that Arndt has written a 40- to 50-page treatment for the film and is likely to be at least one of the writers when the Disney/Lucasfilm project begins shooting in 2014.

As far as rumors go, I dig this one. It’s sort of a marraige that makes perfect sense. A writer with an immensely successful project with Disney being turned lose on Star Wars would be all sorts of interesting.

But of course, this is just a rumor for now.