Star Wars Episode IX Is Being Rewritten By Harry Potter's Jack Thorne
The Cursed Child scribe is taking over screenplay duties for the trilogy closer.
Another upcoming Star Wars film has undergone a behind-the-scenes change, with Jack Thorne being brought on to draft the latest version of Episode IX's screenplay.
Colin Trevorrow, who is directing the movie, had written an initial draft alongside regular collaborator Derek Connolly, with whom he worked on Safety Not Guaranteed and Jurassic World. According to THR, who broke the news, a fresh set of eyes was needed on the project.
They're both currently at work on the Jurassic sequel, Fallen Kingdom, so perhaps it's not such a big surprise that an additional writer has been brought in to help out, It's nothing new in the world of blockbusters, and certainly not Star Wars terms.
Rian Johnson was said to be developing a treatment for Episode IX, but has clarified he wasn't been involved in the writing process. Gary Whitta wrote an initial script for Rogue One, before Chris Weitz took over, while Michael Arndt wrote the first draft of The Force Awakens, before J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan did their own rewrite.
Thorne doesn't have much movie experience, though he has written the upcoming Wonder, but has extensive TV and stage credits, including some genre fare: he wrote the acclaimed Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play, TV series The Fades, an episode of upcoming anthology Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams, and is creating the BBC's adaptation of His Dark Materials.
Star Wars Episode IX is currently scheduled for release on May 24, 2019, with production expected to begin early next year, and this news isn't likely to change anything in that regard.
Do you think Jack Thorne is a good choice for Episode IX? Let us know down in the comments.