Is Damon Lindelof vying for the ‘Star Wars’ sequel writing gig? Does he already have the job?

"Prometheus" scribe Damon Lindelof sure is talking about Disney's planned "Star Wars" sequels quite a bit. Since Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm last week, the former "Lost" showrunner has been excitedly talking about the prospect of new "Star Wars" movies, both on Twitter and in interviews. It's almost as if the popular screenwriter either wants the job of writing the films -- or he knows something we don't!

After news broke that "Star Wars: Episode 7" would be arriving in 2015, an interesting rumour began to circulate. Many had initially pegged former Pixar star and "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" filmmaker Brad Bird as a potential contender for the "Star Wars" directing gig. But, as it turned out, Bird was already attached to a direct a mysterious Disney production called "1952" -- a film being written and produced by Lindelof.

Right now, all that is known about "1952" is that it's "a large scale science fiction project that originated out of a series of meetings Lindelof had with Disney." The rumour being circulated by some fans is that "1952" could merely be a placeholder name for "Star Wars: Episode 7," as previous films in the series have used code names, like "Blue Harvest," while in production.

See also: Harrison Ford says he's open to another 'Star Trek' film

The "1952" rumour was subsequently "debunked" by an anonymous source, but it could easily be a bait-and-switch to keep fans guessing. This is all pure speculation, of course, but if Lindelof and Bird's "1952" is actually "Star Wars: Episode 7" in disguise, it would certainly explain why the screenwriter has been so enthusiastically talking about the sequels at every opportunity. He was even recently spotted at LucasFilm's offices in San Francisco. Is he already working on a script? Some of his recent comments about the sequels to Rolling Stone may be telling.

"My understanding is that there's going to be a movie every two or three years, and they're not even calling it a new trilogy," Lindelof told the magazine, indicating that he already has some inside knowledge of the project. Curious.

Lindelof further discussed a potential direction for the film and who should be in it. "As far as casting, my feeling is that they have to bring back the original actors. How can you express that these movies take place after the original trilogy unless some of those characters are in it?" Lindelof said. "I don't feel that they have to be at the epicenter of the drama, and I definitely think they should introduce new characters."

See also: What will 'Star Wars Episode 7' be about?

The screenwriter said that he enjoys the idea of seeing aged versions of the original trilogy characters. "I imagine that something happens between this 'Return of the Jedi 'and this new film that has split everybody up and created some turmoil that needs to be resolved," he suggested.

Lindelof also had some big ideas for the trajectory of the series. "The arc of the first movie, if not the first trilogy, would be about getting some of our favourites back together for one last hurrah, in partnership with whoever's going to be carrying the torch forward."

Of course, the fact that Lindelof's ideas about the "Star Wars" sequels sound so right and spot-on could all just be a happy coincidence -- everyone and their mother are talking about the LucasFilm deal and the prospect of new adventures in a galaxy far, far away. Like anyone born in the early '70s, the "Star Wars" movies loomed large in Lindelof's childhood, so of course the news would be of interest to him. As a storyteller and a working screenwriter, Lindelof's natural inclination is to make his idea for "Star Wars" sound like a perfect elevator pitch for the film. If he doesn't already have the job, this kind of analysis of where the "Star Wars" movies should be headed might just get him the job.

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Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that Lindelof has even joked quite a bit about the prospect of writing the film on Twitter. As you can see below, Lindelof's followers have been quite vocal and divided about whether or not the scribe should get the job.

But to his credit, Lindelof has shot right back at the folks who don't want him working on it.

Even the background image on Lindelof's Twitter profile might say something -- it is a picture of Luke Skywalker carrying Jedi Master Yoda around in a backpack!

See also: 'Star Wars': Its modest opening in 1977

Besides fan ire, there is also another major obstacle standing in the way of Lindelof getting the job: he already has another major sci-fi franchise to his name, since he helped "Lost" collaborator J. J. Abrams revive the struggling "Star Trek" franchise in 2009. Putting the same guy who co-wrote the last "Star Trek" movie in charge of writing the new "Star Wars" movie would be sure to create some sort of geek black hole. As any fanboy or fangirl knows, you just don't cross the "Trek" and "Wars" streams!