Lucasfilm Confirms Michael Arndt to Write 'Star Wars: Episode VII'

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A day after THR reported that Michael Arndt has been working with Lucasfilm for several months on a treatment for the new Star Wars movie, Lucasfilm has confirmed that the Toy Story 3 scribe will write the screenplay for Episode VII.

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Arndt had written a 40- to 50-page treatment that will bring the saga of the Skywalkers, the Force-imbued family comprising Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader and twins Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa, to a close in a new trilogy. The story is said to focus on a new generation of heroes and would feature appearances by Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher in older incarnations of their beloved characters from the original Star Wars trilogy.

RELATED: New Star Wars Movie Has Treatment By 'Toy Story 3' Writer

Sources have said not to discount the possibility that a number of characters from previous Star Wars films could reappear — even the dead Jedis, who have a habit of showing up in spirit form.

The next step for Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy, who is overseeing the production of the new movies for Disney, is to hire a director. One name popping up consistently amongst insiders is Brad Bird, though insiders say no choice has been made and Bird already is working on another top-secret sci-fi project for the studio.

Arndt, repped by Verve, is described as a huge Star Wars fan and well-versed in the lore of the mythology. He won an Oscar for his script for Little Miss Sunshine and was nominated for his work on Toy Story 3, helping make the Pixar movie the most emotional of the three. He also co-wrote the screenplay for the upcoming Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire.