Lucasfilm confirms Michael Arndt as 'Star Wars' writer and new details on directors emerge
Lucasfilm seems awfully chatty this time around
It should be interesting to see who they bring back for 'Episode VII'
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Well, that was quick.
My guess at this point is that we'll hear the name of the director making "Episode VII" before the end of November. If Lucasfilm and Disney were willing to announce the hiring of Michael Arndt today, then it's obviously been in the works for a while, and they are most likely further along in the process than anyone guessed.
Star Wars.com posted another video today with George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy, and they evidently plan to post a new video every week. I think it's interesting to see how different their approach to talking to the audience is this time around than it was when they were gearing up for the prequel trilogy.
The thing that will be hardest for any filmmaker to get right is tone. Even in the original trilogy, you could argue that "A New Hope," "The Empire Strikes Back," and "Return Of The Jedi" all feel like they have very different sensibilities. Getting the world of "Star Wars" right is about more than just aliens and spaceships and lightsabers. There's a mix of action and humor and character that has eluded many imitators over the years, and it'll be interesting to see if they're able to pull it off with this movie.
Hiring Arndt sends a very specific message about the kind of film that Lucasfilm hopes to make, and we'll know even more when we see who signs on to direct. Keep an eye out for that information sooner rather than later.
In the meantime, here's today's new video with Kennedy and Lucas:
"Star Wars Episode VII" will be in theaters the summer of 2015.
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November 10, 2012 at 12:11AM EST Reply to CommentIs it too much to hope that'll it be called 'Star Wars Episode V11: Scum & Villainy"?
dyikini Then again maybe this is PR more than anything else
November 10, 2012 at 1:03AM ESTCinemaPsycho Yeah, it's too much to hope.
November 10, 2012 at 2:59AM ESTnick_r Valid point -- the problem with Crystal Skull wasn't necessarily that Lucas contributed bad ideas, but that he vetoed all the good ones. However, I'm under the impression that he won't have nearly the same level of control on Episodes VII-IX. He'll probably try to stick his nose in as much as possible, but at the end of the day Kathleen Kennedy presumably has the authority to make him back off. In the words of Bert Cooper, "We took their money, so we have to do what they say."
November 10, 2012 at 4:46PM ESTFistOSalmon It won't be but that is hands down the greatest possible title for Joe Johnston's Boba Fett standalone movie.
November 10, 2012 at 6:35PM ESTShaun
November 10, 2012 at 12:27AM EST Reply to CommentI don't care what Lucas says... the movie that came out in 1977 was just called STAR WARS, dammit! None of this "A New Hope" crap!
Fastbak I don't think even having the tone of the original 3 movies will satisfy some fans. When I read the Thrawn books, they were NOT the tone of the original. They were for a more mature and for a more older, sophisticated audience. I think older fans want the new movies to be like that.
November 10, 2012 at 2:22AM ESTFastbak I didn't mean the above to respond to your comment but as a comment to the article in general. Sorry Shaun!
November 10, 2012 at 2:23AM ESTEyes
November 10, 2012 at 12:49AM EST Reply to CommentThey pretty much asked every working director who is a Star Wars fanboy to put their name into the hat, right there on the internet. It's like they want more than just ordinary hype; they want to make reality TV out of it. (Do we get to see people fired as well?)
If it's a sign of things to come, Peter Jackson's 'production diaries' - if you can apply that name to the gloating home videos of hundreds of flunkeys being flown around New Zealand at enormous expense - are going to look anemic by comparison.
dyikini
November 10, 2012 at 1:02AM EST Reply to CommentSeeing them talk about George's involvement instantly brought the cynic out in me. I hate that!
I realize I was naive to think so but I didn't expect to see / hear him having much to do with this at all. Given the tiredness he seems to've expressed about Star Wars in general and the fact he sold it. I really wasn't sure we would have more Star Wars films while he was still around.
Eyes
November 10, 2012 at 1:08AM EST Reply to CommentPS: Kathleen Kennedy referred to bringing in people she's worked with before. Among them: Robert Zemeckis, Joe Dante, Gary Ross, David Fincher, Errol Morris, Tobe Hooper and Martin Scorsese.
Exciting possibilities. But other past collaborators include - just to give you some sleepless nights - Barry Levinson, Chris Columbus, Jan de Bont and M. Night Shyamalan.
Conspiracy How Dare you Sir/Ma'am bring up the specter of Shamalamadingdong. I shant sleep a wink hence forth. As someone who saw Star Wars over 20 times in 77-78 as a child, and as a Disney Shareholder...damn you I say.
November 10, 2012 at 1:12AM ESTfilaphresh Ending reveal: the Sith die if you throw water at them
November 10, 2012 at 2:09AM ESTCinemaPsycho What's wrong with Barry Levinson? We could have Richard Dreyfuss, Danny DeVito and Robin Williams as Jedi Masters.
November 10, 2012 at 3:12AM ESTConspiracy
November 10, 2012 at 1:09AM EST Reply to CommentHaving George to guide them, like he did during the production of Empire is fine, if he Guides them like he did during Indy IV it's well and truly fucked.
George...incredible visionary and ideas man; horrible director and writer.
grseif7
November 10, 2012 at 2:16AM EST Reply to CommentI'm also incredibly excited at the prospect of "Star Wars" films, and I think bringing in Michael Arndt is a good start, since I'm a fan of his. However, I due pray that they don't let M. Night Shyamalan anywhere NEAR these new Star Wars movies. I think he's a big fan of the films, and I know he's worked with Kathleen Kennedy, but I think having him involved would be a disaster. Can you imagine the backlash, and the hostility that would ensue if Shyamalan was the announced director? It would get ugly very, very fast. I'm pretty sure Disney is smart enough NOT to go with him, but the mere mention of his name makes me shudder!!
CinemaPsycho I'm pretty sure Disney cut their ties with Shyamalan after The Village. I doubt they will bring him back for THIS. I've heard stories about their relationship towards the end that suggest it would take a miracle to get the two parties to ever work together on ANYTHING.
November 10, 2012 at 3:09AM ESTdrew To be accurate, though, no one at Disney now was there during the "Village" era or when he was developing "Lady In The Water" for them. They've had a complete turnover in the executive suite since then.
November 10, 2012 at 3:54AM ESTEl-Rey
November 10, 2012 at 4:10AM EST Reply to CommentThey have to get Frank Darabont to direct. They just have to.
Bill
November 10, 2012 at 7:36AM EST Reply to CommentMaybe it was mentioned in one of the videos, but I'd have really thrown up a few of Michael Arndt's writing credits. He's not exactly a household name, and I for one had no idea what movies he's worked on. So when you said his selection sends a very important message about the type of movie they're hoping to make, I'm guessing a lot of people were missing a key point of reference.
Anon THANK YOU! I read the article twice hoping to find out who on Earth Michael Arndt was.
November 10, 2012 at 4:24PM ESTHowever good of a writer he may be, he's clearly not exactly Spielberg -- some details would've definitely helped.
Patrick
November 10, 2012 at 1:06PM EST Reply to CommentI hope they're considering Andrew Stanton for director; I think he'd be a great choice: Disney sci-fi directing creds on John Carter and WALL-E, worked with Ben Burtt on WALL-E (of course Ben Burtt will be the Star Wars sound designer again), and shares writing creds with Michael Arndt on Toy Story 3.
FistOSalmon John Carter was the biggest bomb maybe in Disney history, Andrew Stanton will not be working for them as a director again. Period. The odds are good he won't be directing anything live action for quite some time.
November 10, 2012 at 6:33PM ESTMarkP John Carter was a bomb because Disney marketing crapped all over it. The film itself is quite wonderful, and Stanton is already working for Disney again, in the form of Finding Nemo 2 (blech) for Pixar.
November 12, 2012 at 2:56PM ESTI don't think he's likely to get the job, but he's probably the best choice.
Ben Kabak John Carter just lost them millions of dollars. But hey let's give him the most valued property we got.
November 13, 2012 at 1:29PM ESTfilmboy
November 11, 2012 at 11:59PM EST Reply to CommentAll this announcement tells us fans is that Lucasfilm is playing it safe with this film. They are not taking any real risks and are trying to minimize the chances of the film missing the mark.
Now safe is fine of course. Disney does not want another Prequel situation here. There is far too much money invested in the future of the Star Wars brand to take any real risks here. They want a safe film that successfully relaunches the brand and does so with as little resistance from the fans. I certainly do not hope for a love letter here from Disney. Just make Episode VII fun and interesting.
As far as directors go, I think the job is Farveau's to lose. He is again a safe choice. With Iron Man, he has proven he can handle a movie with a heavy dose of CG and action. Iron Man also shows he can deliver a movie that the fans of the property will love, but something that is also accessible to the non-fans as well. Again, he is a safe choice.
While I say I understand why safe is what Disney and Lucasfilm want here, I can't really say that I feel it is a good move. I will be the one here to say that calculated risks are the exact thing Disney should be doing with Star Wars. They should hire a writer who can write great characters, someone who love Star Wars obiviously, but also understands what worked about the original trilogy and made it so beloved. Then they need to hire a director who can make a film that looks like it belongs in the Star Wars universe but also adds new wrinkles and interesting visual ideas to the mix. Think Cuaron with Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban.
Making Episode VII is a risk in itself, no it really is. So why not make some interesting choices that will raise the eyebrows and interest of fans and non-fans alike.
I am willing to withhold judgement on this all until I physically see the film. But I can say this, whomever they do chose to direct will be worlds better than Lucas.
ungruntled
November 12, 2012 at 3:46PM EST Reply to Comment2015 is a long time to wait. I think they should hire Takashi Miike. He'll have the whole trilogy done by next Christmas.
And as a bonus, we'll get to see what it looks like when somebody shoves a lightsaber up someone's bum and turns it on.