Either that or scour the Earth for a more competent writer and just have JJ direct.
That would be a decent solution. I can admit JJ’s writing is nothing that gets me too excited exactly. However, I think he’s the kind of director where the script makes or breaks the final product. It is fair to mention that both the Trek films he directed also had two terrible Hollywood writers. Although '09 was better… So maybe their work is just on a spectrum.
Then again they also wrote ‘The Legend of Zorro’ and ‘Transformers’ so I don’t know what to believe.
JJ has definitely gotten more shit thrown at him than he deserves, but even with Kasdan he still couldn’t produce a great script. I can sense JJ’s influence in the bad aspects of TFA and the rest of the ST doesn’t need to be plagued with a writer who’s that hit or miss. To be blunt, the elements that will make Star Wars thrive for decades to come isn’t in JJ’s skill set.
Before TFA, Lucas had crafted all the stories. Lucas knows how to write an ending. Abrams doesn’t. I consider the Ach-to segment in TFA to be discardable epilogue. Kasdan is a good screen writer, but it was Lucas who created TESB and ROTJ, not Kasdan. Lucas has sole story credit on all 6 films.
Regardless of who was credited Kasdan put in enough work in ESB for Lucas to deem it his least favorite film in the saga. Until TFA I’m guessing.
What IX needs is a good story and for Kennedy to hounds Abrams to follow the story and not do his own thing. He is a good director, but a bad story teller. This could work, but knowing how Hollywood works, the chances are slim.
I’m hoping VIII makes JJ really jealous and he drags that with him during the entire process. That’s the only way we’ll be getting something bold.
EDIT:
Also Lucas hasn’t made a solid ending to a SW film since Empire. What’s sad is that I don’t even know all the specifics of what Lucas contributed to the ending of Empire so I wouldn’t be so quick to give him that type of props.