Star Wars: Episode 7, is a phrase that either strike fear into the hearts of Star Wars fans the world over, or instil a sense of reluctant optimism in others. No matter how you feel about the rebooting of George Lucas' genre-defining sci-fi series, it is happening and there is nothing we can do about it. What we can do though is mull over every little rumor and tidbit that Disney have managed to let sneak on to the internet, and try to understand exactly where the movie's makers are in the filmmaking process.

George LucasJJ Abrams
Lucas is handing the baton over to Abrams

We do have some concrete facts about the movie so far; that Jj Abrams is directing it, or at least we're pretty sure that he still is anyway. During the summer there were rumors that the Lost creator was on the verge of stepping down from the project amidst creative differences with Disney. Having initially declined the invitation to direct the next instalment of the Star Wars franchise, his commitment to the project had always seemed somewhat in doubt, but as the months have gone by it does look as though he is committed to the job. Abrams is a pretty competent director and his involvement in the project is a promising one, providing that he doesn't go overboard with the lens flare like he did on Star Trek.

One appointment that does seem certain, and one that has been roundly accepted as a solid appointment, is that acclaimed screenwriter Michael Arndt is in charge of the script. As it stands, Arndt is the sole name attached to the screenwriting duties, although it has also been revealed that Lucas will work as a "consultant" during the writing and filming process to ensure that his vision of the Star Wars universe isn't too heavily tampered with. Considering how well his vision was realised in the three prequels, this might not be a great thing, but we have faith that Arndt will make sure the film is free from any scenes like the ones involving Anakin declaring his undying love for Padmé or JarJar Binks being JarJar Binks.

Next: John Williams returns to the Star Wars arena.