Good news, Nerds! Star Wars Episode VII will be hitting theaters on December 18, 2015, which means it’s time to start polishing the Stormtrooper armor and dusting off your camping supplies. There are not a lot of details available yet on the movie itself. We know J. J. Abrams is directing and cowriting the script with Lawrence Kasdan (Michael Arndt was recently released). The inclusion of Kasdan, who cowrote Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, is particularly exciting. It also expected that the original cast is returning, though their role is uncertain.
Disney has recently issued an open casting call for a young man and woman for an unnamed film that is rumored to be Star Wars. The young man they are looking for could easily fit the description of Luke: smart, capable, courageous when he needs to be, and fatherless. The young woman, Rachel, had to grow up in a rough town after the loss of her parents.
It will definitely be interesting to see where they go with the story. Kasdan has stated that they won’t necessarily be following the continuity set by the Expanded Universe, which will be a bummer for some fans, but ultimately will allow them to craft a story that is both surprising and a fitting sequel to the Original Trilogy.