An Oscar Winning Pixar Alum Will Pen The Script for Star Wars: Episode VII

Oh, I can't keep it in any longer, it's Michael Arndt!  Yes, it's highly likely the writer of Toy Story 3 and Little Miss Sunshine will be penning the scripts to the next three films in the Star Wars franchise.  According to Vulture, Arnt began working on a treatment for the trilogy a while ago, and has just turned it in to Disney to comb through.  If Disney likes it enough (which seems highly likely), they will commission Arndt to write the entire script, and potentially the next two in the trilogy as well.

That said, don't expect much movement to be made on it for the time being.  Arndt currently has his time filled with writing the last two parts of The Hunger Games trilogy, Mockingjay Part One and Two.  But Deadline believes that he'll finish up with those scripts by next year, where he'll be able to jump onto Episode VII full time.  He also has a Pixar film with Pete Doctor in the works too, but assumingly that one's already finished.

Honestly, I'm happy about this.  Arndt's a fantastic screenwriter and, although hiring the writer ofToy Story 3 and Little Miss Sunshine may seem odd, I think it's something that could work.  Arndt's a pretty big Star Wars fan, and I'm sure that just like you, he doesn't want them to screw Episode VII up.  So what better way to do that than just write it himself?

Whatever the case, next step will be hiring on a director—which Disney has more than plenty of possible candidates to choose from.  We'll keep you updated.

-Matthew