Simon Kinberg, Lawrence Kasdan Writing Star Wars 8 and 9?

Deadline's reporting and The Hollywood Reporter's confirming Simon Kinberg and Lawrence Kasdan will be writing and producing Star Wars: Episode VIII and Star Wars: Episode IX. Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3) has already committed to handling screenplay duties for Star Wars: Episode VII, and Kinberg and Kasdan will apparently each tackle one of the following two films.

Lawrence Kasdan's no stranger to the Star Wars franchise having written The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Kinberg's credits include Mr. and Mrs. Smith, X-Men: The Last Stand and Sherlock Holmes.

_{(Photo © Richard Chavez)}