Lawrence Kasdan Looking To ‘Start Fresh’ With New ‘Star Wars’ Film

Screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan said he is looking to “start fresh” with the new Star Wars movie he has been hired to pen.

Kasdan, who helped write both Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, is rumored to be involved with one of the Star Wars movies coming together over at Lucasfilm. According to Coming Soon, it’s currently believed Kasdan has been hired to script one of the upcoming standalone features.

Although the writer has pretty much confirmed his involvement with the project, he wouldn’t say which character would be the central focus on the film.

The scribe told the Los Angeles Times:

“I’m trying to start fresh. There are certain pleasures that we think the saga can bring to people that they’ve been missing, and we’re hoping to bring them that, and at the same time, have them feel that it’s all new.

“George sort of brought me into this part of it and he’s stepping back from the company. He’s sort of given his blessing to everybody, and he’ll be there if you need him. I think everyone’s interested to see where this can go. It’s been some very different places over 30 years. I think with J.J., we’ll get something entirely new.”

According to ScreenCrush, Lawrence Kasdan explained why Empire Strikes Back continues to be a fan favorite. The writer said:

” ‘Empire’ appeals to people, I think, because it’s the second act of a three-act play, and everything sort of goes to hell during the movie. And when you leave, everyone is in trouble, and that is the best part of the story to write. And people responded to it. Irvin Kershner was a completely different kind of director than George, so the movie’s much darker than the first ‘Star Wars.’ It’s more edgy.”

In addition to writing the standalone Star Wars movie, Lawrence Kasdan will consult on J.J. Abrams’ Episode VII. Disney hopes to start releasing new features into theaters by 2015.