Star Wars Episode 9 Adds Harry Potter Writer

A new writer has come aboard for Star Wars: Episode IX. According to The Hollywood Reporter, British writer Jack Thorne has been brought on to contribute to the script.

The first script was written by director Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly (Safety Not Guaranteed, Jurassic World). Sources told THR that a "fresh set of eyes was needed" for the script. However, the extent of the rewrites or changes is not clear.

Thorne created a number of British TV shows, including The Cast-Offs, The Last Panthers, and National Treasure. He also wrote the popular stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

As Collider explains, the hiring of a new writer for a Star Wars film is nothing new. Michael Arndt spent a year working on The Force Awakens before he was replaced by JJ Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan. Rogue One also had new writers. One major exception is this year's The Last Jedi, which Rian Johnson wrote and directed himself.

Star Wars: Episode IX is set for release in May 2019. While you have to wait a while longer for that movie, The Last Jedi is out this December, with the untitled Han Solo film set to follow a year later.