Toy Story 3, Hunger Games writer rumored to script next Star Wars movie

The movie is also rumored to feature the original Luke, Leia, and Han Solo.

AP Photo/Matt Sayles

In this March 13, 2008 file photo, director/producer George Lucas poses for portrait in Las Vegas. Lucas wrote and produced the upcoming movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Theres no mistaking the similarities. A childhood on a dusty farm, a love of fast vehicles, a rebel who battles an overpowering empire, George Lucas is the hero he created, Luke Skywalker.

Vulture is reporting that reliable sources have tipped them off to the fact that a 40-ish page treatment for Star Wars: Episode VII penned by Michael Arndt is about to cross the desks of some important decision-making people. They say he is likely to be at least one of the writers for the Disney-produced film, which is expected to start shooting in 2014.

Arndt may be most recognizable for his Oscar-nominated screenplay for Toy Story 3, but he also won an Oscar for Little Miss Sunshine as well as wrote the script for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which is filming now.

He’s also something of a Star Wars expert, having lectured on the topic before, according to the Vulture story.

The choice would seem to be a smart one. As fellow Hollywood super-nerd (Lost co-creator and writer of the upcoming Star Trek film) Damon Lindelof said on Twitter: “If this is true, Michael Arndt is the perfect choice.We’re in good hands, fellow nerds.”

Rumor has it that the new film would include the original cast trio (Luke, Leia, and Han) in some form, if possible. Harrison Ford, at least, has expressed interest in becoming a smuggler again.