Rough cut of The Force Awakens ready for scoring, Episode VIII screenplay takes shape

From Making Star Wars we have two minor (but exciting!) updates regarding the next two chapters in the Star Wars saga.

Firstly, John Williams will begin scoring The Force Awakens next month: apparently the rough cut of the film is approaching the point where it’s starting to settle into an approximation of what we’ll eventually see in December. There’s still a lot of work to go on the film, of course, but it’s pretty thrilling to think they’re now at the point where scoring will commence.

And secondly, here’s a look (literally) at the work Rian Johnson has been doing on Episode VIII, which he apparently started in June last year:

@TyLeisher 1. pic.twitter.com/qFAzKbe0T6

— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) May 15, 2015

@TyLeisher 2. They sell them for 15 bucks at stationary shops, just scribble in some stuff about wookies. Ta-dah!

— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) May 15, 2015

@TyLeisher I outline/plan forever, skipping all around, but then when I write write it I go from start to finish. But no wrong way to do it.

— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) May 15, 2015

@TyLeisher Outline in notebooks

— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) May 15, 2015

Recall that Johnson is rumoured to be writing a treatment for Episode IX as well, so that may be in there, too.

With Episode VIII in pre-production, Rogue One about to start production and The Force Awakens knee-deep in post production, this seriously has to be the craziest time yet to be a Star Wars fan.