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JJ Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan are to rewrite Star Wars: Episode VII.



They are taking over the screenwriting duties from Little Miss Sunshine writer Michael Arndt (pictured), who is exiting the project.

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said of the change: "I am very excited about the story we have in place and thrilled to have Larry and JJ working on the script.

"There are very few people who fundamentally understand the way a Star Wars story works like Larry, and it is nothing short of incredible to have him even more deeply involved in its return to the big screen. JJ of course is an incredible storyteller in his own right.

"Michael Arndt has done a terrific job bringing us to this point and we have an amazing filmmaking and design team in place already prepping for production."

Kasdan also co-wrote The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He had been consulting on the development of the new trilogy, which picks up with the Rebellion after the death of Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine.

Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher are all expected to reprise their roles from the original trilogy.

The movie is currently set for release in 2015.