No, this isn’t a joke. Yes, fans, one of your old favorite writers is back. No, Lucas isn’t primed and ready to butcher them like Episodes 1 through 3.
E! reports that Disney has not only secured Oscar winner Michael Arndt to write Episode 7 (as we reported earlier) but also Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg to write Episode 8 and 9, respectively.
Just who is Lawrence Kasdan, you may ask? (If you’re not a major Star Wars fan, that is.)
Kasdan was on the original team of people to make The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, that’s who. Also, all three films are set to be produced by Disney, not Lucas, following their purchase of the rights to the film for a paltry $4.05 billion.
So just when are these pillars of (hopeful) awesomeness set to come out?
Episode 7 is looking at being released sometime in 2015, with Episode 8 hopefully two years after that and Episode 9 to follow by the end of the decade.
Not much else to say here except, well, may the Force be with you all, filmmakers.