I think we can all agree the prospect of another Star Wars movie is very exciting. But with the prequels in mind, many people are not exactly jumping around with anticipation.

The recent news that J.J. Abrams would direct the film has made expectations rise to an even higher level. So should we get excited or should we go in with low expectations so we’re not disappointed? Here are some reasons to get very excited.

When Michael Arndt was announced as the writer of Episode VII, I literally jumped around in pure bliss. The guy is a genius. The first script he ever wrote was Little Miss Sunshine. Before it was bought, Pixar read it and immediately hired him. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Script that year.

His second movie was Toy Story 3. If you have seen that movie and you don’t like it, you’re probably not a human being. He was nominated for the Academy Award again. Two scripts, one win and one nomination.

Go watch one of the Star Wars prequels. Select a random chapter in the menu and see what comes out. If it’s not an action scene, it’s probably a scene of two people walking and talking. Those movies are filled with these kind of scenes. Now watch the 2009 Star Trek. It’s filled with urgency! People are running from one place to another! Time is running out! There’s no time for walking and talking.

Urgency is a key ingredient for an action movie to be successful. Arndt understands this (think of the escape sequence in Toy Story 3) and J.J. Abrams is a genius in this aspect. I’m sure between the both of them, we’ll get a thrilling movie.

Arndt understand film structure and character like few others. Think of Toy Story 3. Around the midpoint of the film, [SPOILER ALERT] we learn Lotso is evil, Buzz turns into his evil sidekick, the toys learn that Andy didn’t want to throw them away and Woody learns that his friends are in danger. Three minutes of screen time and every single subplot changes direction in a dramatic manner. That’s structure.

Plus, Arndt always refers to Star Wars when he gives lectures so we know he’s a fan! Like Abrams! And he knows how to deal with high expectations because every movie Pixar makes is expected to be amongst the best in the year and he arguably wrote Pixar’s best film to date.

Two movies that come out this year are written by Arndt. Both of them are huge sci-fi movies so we’ll get a sense of how he writes this genre. The first one is Oblivion, with Tom Cruise, and the second one is this little movie you might have heard of called Catching Fire.

Another reason to be excited is J.J. Abrams known secrecy. You’re probably tired of the “Who is Benedict Cumberbatch in Star Trek” posts that plague the Internet nowadays, but let me tell you why his secrecy is such a great thing.

Imagine going to see Empire when it first came out in 1980. You’re sitting there when suddenly Darth Vader says “No, I am your father.” Ohmygod! There’s nothing like a good twist that actually surprises you. Let’s hope Abrams does it again.

So these are the reasons I’m excited! J.J. Abrams is a great choice for directing and Anrdt is the best possible choice for writing, in my opinion. What are your thoughts? Are you excited?