Han To Return (And Bring Indy With Him)? But Arndt Out

While the core cast of the original Star Wars trilogy are all expected to return for Episode VII, rumours are now out there that Harrison Ford has officially signed up to appear in the movie... and beyond.

According to Jedi News (so take this with a pinch of salt) Ford finally agreed to take the Falcon for another spin on the condition that Disney also greenlit another Indiana Jones movie.

Says the site:

"The outstanding points[in Ford's negotiations] that had dragged on but are now resolved are:

    * Ford wanted to see the synopsis for his character's development over more than just Episode 7. He saw this in August and is happy with the story arc.
    * Ford wanted a commitment to Indy 5. He did not get this as there is no plot line or script in place. What did happen was an agreement was made wherein an outline would be developed by the end of calendar year 2014, and if all parties can agree to it moving forward, efforts would be made to move on Indy 5 for release before the end of 2016.
    * Disney wanted a multi film deal with Ford which transcends Episode 7. This has now been agreed."

Again, take this with a pinch of salt, but this does seem to imply that Han will feature in the new trilogy rather extensively, rather than just handing over the torch to a new cast in Episode VII.

Also - another Indy movie! As possibly the only person who loved Crystal Skull, this is great news!

In  other Episode VII news, screenwriter Michael Arndt has left the project, with director JJ Abrams and Star Wars veteran Larry Kasdan stepping in to rewrite the movie.

Sorry, Mike, but you (wait for it)... Arndt involved anymore. BOOM! Nailed it!

No reason for the Toy Story writer's departure has been given, but 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.

Star Wars Episode VII is out in 2015.