The Empire Strikes Back screenwriter attached to pen Star Wars 8 and 9

Lawrence Kasdan, screenwriter of The Empire Strikes Back, and Simon Kinberg, of slightly less impressive credits xXx2 and This Means War, have been set to write the final two instalments of the new Star Wars trilogy for Disney.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the “exact division of responsibilities is yet to be determined.”

It was previously reported that Oscar winner Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3) would write Star Wars Episode VII, which will hit cinemas in 2015.

Now that Episodes VIII and IX have writers attached, the announcement of a director shouldn’t be too far behind.