ST Lucasfilm Confirms: Michael Arndt To Write Screenplay For Episode VII

The problem is that JJ himself has SAID that he thinks SW is "all about the puzzle box".

TED conference in 08 or 09, IIRC http://io9.com/5980688/watch-jj-abrams-explaining-why-star-wars-is-all-about-the-mystery-box

 

The weird thing is that ID in many ways was the superior movie (at least for me). The writing was actually tighter, the characters more settled, and the humor more organic and less obviously inserted for giggles.

Visually it was a bit cleaner as well (fewer flares, more settled visual FX), but I took points away for too many obvious "ok, this is where we do the [x] shot" moments (like the spacejump and Enterprise rising from clouds).

 

For those earlier concerned, tons of Lucasfilm alumni are back, and listed in the press release (including Ian and Doug). Dennis Muren, Ben Burtt. Vets.

Random thought, I think Muren and Burtt are my two favorite Star Wars production people. They are just that right mix of nerdy and easygoing. Muren's got that classic animator vibe and he and Burtt obviously love their work. They are humble gods in my estimation.

 

Muren's not listed but we can all assume he will be back in some capacity.

 

Muren encouraged GL with the Special Editions.

 

We can? That's news to me.. but good news nonetheless.

 

Thank you, Colts. I stand corrected.

Going back to the J.J. announcement Muren is quoted as saying "We're kickstarting Star Wars again with dynamite" which seems to assume he's onboard.

 

Michael Arndt, we hardly knew ye

 

Shouldn't the title of this thread be changed from "to write" to "wrote"?

 

Well, we don't even really 'know he' yet. I look forward to reading the work he's done on Ep. VII. He's a good writer and got a shot at a dream gig. I can't wait to see his drafts on the scripts.

 

Oh, Jesus. You know, I don't mind the concept of a mystery in Star Wars, as long as they know what the 'answer' is and are simply holding it back. What I don't like is when they have no clue and are jerking us around in the name of 'suspense' (see any of Damon Lindelof's work).

 

^BINGO! I read a really in depth analysis of JJ as a filmmaker that said just that. Puzzle box complexity is FALSE complexity. It's "mysteriousness" trying to be genuine mystery. And typically PB is an attempt to mask pathetically basic story plotting and bad characterization.

 

Yeah, I'm not sure you can make "mystery" your goal.

 

Agreed. The trouble with mystery is that it's only really effective once, whereas Star Wars fans have a tendency to watch the films repeatedly, often numbering in the hundreds. I actually doubt any film is watched more often by as many people as any of the Star Wars films. So while I appreciate the mystery aspects of, say, AOTC, it's more the mysterious tone that I continue to enjoy rather than the mystery elements of the story itself. And even if they manage a reveal in this trilogy as shocking as the one in TESB, that can only take you so far in terms of effective storytelling. There has to be enough weight behind it for it to remain interesting or dramatically satisfying on repeat viewings.

 

The key to making a good movie is ALWAYS strong writing. Good characters and a tight plot. JJ's plots are sloppy and shallow (which he covers up with PB), and many times his characters are either cartoonish or incomprehensible.

Karsdan (sp?) is going to have to somehow fend off his boss and keep him as far away from the story and script as possible.

 

@ Kev: I disagree. I thought the characters in Super 8 were relatable and well realized. Not super deep psychological realism, but it's not that kind of film.

 

I agree with Roach, tone is everything.

That's part of the reason I think concept paintings are everything for these movies.

 

The Fringe characters were some of my all-time favorite. The father-son relationship between Peter and Walter was epic. Just writing that makes me feel emotional.

 

"You Arndt the writer!"

 

Man, I really have to watch Fringe.

 

An interesting parallel here is the original Planet of the Apes. Rod Serling worked for a long time on the screenplay, he broke all the hard ground in adapting the novel and really helped make the film a produce-able movie. But in the end the director hired another writer to rewrite all of the dialogue. They kept Serling's characters, his concept of the "world", his version of the background history, his scene sequence, structure and ending; all they changed was a dialogue. What's interesting is that if you read the Serling draft, the dialogue is really stiff and arch, not loose and memorable like his best work. The rewrites actually "sound" more like Serling than Serling did!

Maybe the Arndt Draft was like that. It could be that he made major contributions to laying it all out and making GL's notes into a film-able script; but JJA wanted changes that make necessary improvements. It's possible.

 

By gum, Hero, you sound positively hopeful!

 

I liked Super 8 a lot dagummit!