Disney Hands Star Wars: Episode VII to the Writer of Toy Story 3

[Carnage95]

http://www.vulture.com/2012/11/star-wars-episode-vii-may-have-found-its-writer.html?mid=twitter_vulture

Since winning the Oscar for Sunshine, Arndt has lectured extensively on the art of storytelling at numerous writers? retreats, like the Hawaii Writers Conference in Maui and the Austin Film Festival, always featuring a lengthy and detailed explanation of why the original Star Wars? ending is so creatively satisfying.

At these talks, Arndt always tells attendees that Star Wars? enduring appeal has to do with resolving its protagonists goals? nearly simultaneously, at the climax of the movie. In the comments section of a discussion about a Star Wars talk Arndt gave at the Austin Film Festival in 2010, one attendee of the seminar notes, "Arndt stated that if a writer could resolve the story's arcs (internal, external, philosophical) immediately after the Moment of Despair at the climax, he or she would deliver the Insanely Great Ending and put the audience in a euphoric state. The faster it could happen, the better. By [Arndt?s] reckoning, George Lucas hit those three marks at the climax of Star Wars within a space of 22 seconds."

Indeed, in the third act of Star Wars, as Arndt explained to his young screenwriting Padawans at the 2009 Hawaii Writers Conference, its central characters' main goals all are met on pages 89 through 91 of the original Lucas script: At the crescendo of Star Wars, a spectral Obi Wan urges, ?Use the Force, Luke,? and he does, thus reaching his inner goal (fighting self-doubt to become a hero). Han Solo reappears (meeting the philosophical goal of overcoming selfishness with altruism) to shoot down Darth Vader, which allows Luke to use the Force to mentally guide his shot and blow up the Death Star (outer goal and inner goals simultaneously met).

I'm optimistic with him writing the script. But I am rather cautious on who's going to be the director.

 

[Palindromemordnilap_v1legacy]

Couldn't they get someone with Action/Science Fiction/Fantasy experience? Toy Story 3 was fine, but it's hardly the tone I expect from a good Star Wars film. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude about it, but this kind of news doesn't help.

Frankly I'd take someone with proven skill at writing good screenplays with decent characterisation over someone who just has sci-fi action movie experience. I mean, would you prefer Michael Bay be writing Episode VII? 'cuz he's got loads of Action/Science Fiction/Fantasy experience

 

[Ashoten]

So I guess we can expect episode VII to be a tearjerker then?

Yeah I had the same thought.

 

[dangoball]

snip

That makes me wonder whether they're going to film the Thrawn Trilogy

...

[HEADING=2]Good gods let it be so!![/HEADING]

I mean, competent Stormtroopers? Amazing spacebattles? One of the coolest Star Wars villains (yes, including Darth Vader) ever? Hell yes!

I like the idea... a lot. But they're gonna have to find a way to work around the fact that it's been nearly 30 years since RotJ, but the Thrawn Trilogy takes place only 5 years after. Hamill, Ford, Fisher... they are all quite quite older, and it's gonna look weird to have Skywalker in his 60's hooking up with Mara Jade.

They're gonna have to retcon the story somehow to make things start a little later, and not everything could happen exactly like the novels.[/quote]

Well who is to say they have to cast the same people? And don't you go all purist on me with "there is only one Luke Skywalker". There have been many Kents, Bonds, Waynes and other prominent movie figures that casting someone new as Luke, Leia and Hann shouldn't be an issue. There you go, they can keep to the cannon chronology.

On a more serious note, if you are making a movie set after the sixth movie. Maybe you should create one about this guy:

Just Saying...maybe it's time to give him a movie.

Yes! He so deserves a movie! Or at least to be in a movie as a foreshadowing of his future movie.

BTW love your avatar

 

[Doom972]

Couldn't they get someone with Action/Science Fiction/Fantasy experience? Toy Story 3 was fine, but it's hardly the tone I expect from a good Star Wars film. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude about it, but this kind of news doesn't help.

Frankly I'd take someone with proven skill at writing good screenplays with decent characterisation over someone who just has sci-fi action movie experience. I mean, would you prefer Michael Bay be writing Episode VII? 'cuz he's got loads of Action/Science Fiction/Fantasy experience

I thought it would be obvious that I meant good experience. Why would you think anyone would want Michael Bay? Unless you secretly do...

 

[Ruairi iliffe]

On a more serious note, if you are making a movie set after the sixth movie. Maybe you should create one about this guy:

Just Saying...maybe it's time to give him a movie.

This, This oh so much.



OT: Personally see this as a really good sign atm, They could have chucked any number of their other writers into the mix but with this standard they might accually pull it off, IF they get the right other people into the mix.

And honestly, its interesting too that they are throwing out so much info right now, i wonder how much longer they will do so.

 

[Evil Smurf]

This...
Could actually be quite good.

I don't know, I never liked toy story

 

[Cartographer]

First thing that went through my mind when the news hit was:

Clone Wars style animation, with Pixar at the head, can only be awesome!

Seriously, how else are we going to get Grand Admiral Thrawn? (and you *know* you want to see that on the big screen)

 

[Macgyvercas]

The prequels weren't the best thing I ever watched, but they're by no means the worst either (House of the Dead takes THAT particular cake). That said, if they make something so bad that it makes the prequels look like god damned Citizen Kane...heads will fucking roll.

 

[JoJo]

Hasn't most material already been covered in books and such? I wonder how and if they are going to try to keep canon or if they'll retcon everything to fit their script.

The expanded universe is seen as a separate canon based on the two film trilogies, which exist in their own canon, so the new films may well be based on some of the better parts of the expanded universe but it's very unlikely they'll stick to it exactly. That's a good thing in my opinion since the EU ranges from excellent to pure shit.

 

[DeimosMasque]

Just so you guys know its already been said that it'll have nothing to do with any EU story.

 

[Spiritofpower]

On a more serious note, if you are making a movie set after the sixth movie. Maybe you should create one about this guy:

Just Saying...maybe it's time to give him a movie.

One word: YES.

This guy made Toy Story, therefore this is gonna be terrible!

So this guy made Toy Story. Okay. Why does this preclude him from making Star Wars? Why can't he make good Toy Story movies and good Star Wars movies?

 

[verdant monkai]

The guy is a fucking comedy writer! what is everyone pleased about?? Its like a thrash metal singer announcing he is about to try and do some dubstep.

I tried to think of some oxymoron's to better illustrate my point but you get the idea, it is just plain stupid. I will still go and see them though because I am pretty curious.

 

[Sylveria]

Couldn't do worse than George did with the prequels.

 

[disgruntledgamer]

Well it's not like he could do any worse than George Goofis. All he has to do is resist the urge to puke with a pen and create subplots that don't make sense while just not going anywhere.

 

[lancar]

On a more serious note, if you are making a movie set after the sixth movie. Maybe you should create one about this guy:

Just Saying...maybe it's time to give him a movie.

Yes. Yes, it is. Kyle Katarn was a great character in all the games he starred in, and as far as I'm concerned, his presence in the series lore is completely canon.