The general consensus among Star Wars fans is that Empire Strikes Back remains the best of the series, the success of which is often attributed to the screenwriting talents of Lawrence Kasdan.
In the early eighties, Kasdan broke through in Hollywood with the screenplays for Empire, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Body Heat, The Big Chill, Silverado, and more, making him one of the top writers in the business.
Now the Empire is apparently calling him back, and it would indeed be a very welcome return. According to numerous sources, including Collider, Deadline, and The Hollywood Reporter, Kasdan has closed a deal to write either Episode VIII or IX, although it’s not clear at the moment which one he will ultimately take on. Michael Ardnt, the screenwriter of Toy Story 3 and Little Miss Sunshine, is going to write the screenplay for Episode VII, the first chapter in the new trilogy.
Along with Kasdan, Simon Kinberg will also be writing either Episode VIII or IX, and Kinberg is the writer of X-Men: First Class, Sherlock Holmes, and the next X-Men installment, Days of Future Past.
While a report in Entertainment Weekly claimed Disney wants to shoot several Star Wars film a year, Deadline tells us that Disney, who now own the Star Wars franchise, plans on having a Star Wars movie hitting theaters every other year beginning win 2015.
Collider points out the potential irony of Kasdan possibly writing Episode VIII, because he also penned the great middle film in the series. (Don’t forget he also wrote Return of the Jedi, so I guess his return will have a little irony no matter what installment he writes).
A lot of times we’ve seen bands reunite with producers or certain key people from the old days in the hopes of recapturing the old magic. If this is what Disney is trying to do with Kasdan, who was one of the best screenwriters of his time, and who I’d also love to see have a comeback, well, let’s hope it indeed works.
