May the fourth be with you: "Star Wars" writer Simon Kinberg talks spinoff films "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" (2008) The Star Wars universe found its way to the big screen again in 2008, albeit in animated form. "The Clone Wars" centered on the wartime tales of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi and featured Padme Amidala, Mace Windu, Count Dooku and other characters from the prequel trilogy. The film paved the way for the award-winning cartoon series of the same name. "I am amazed at how it continues," Lucas said at the time. It's not something I expected to happen, and not something we spend a lot of time thinking about trying to expand. This was created because I wanted to stimulate kids' imaginations, inspire them to be creative and to think outside the box. Lucasfilm Link "Star Wars" fans have dubbed May 4 as ""Star Wars" Day" (as in "May the fourth be with you..."), and Hero Complex is celebrating with a look to the future of pop culture's favorite space saga. Disney announced last month it will release a new "Star Wars" film every year beginning in 2015 with "Episode XVII," the first installment in a planned trilogy. In between those movies, Disney is releasing two standalone "Star Wars" films not part of the overall saga, penned by Simon Kinberg and "The Empire Strikes Back" scribe Lawrence Kasdan. "I'm trying to start fresh," Kasdan told Hero Complex in February. There are certain pleasures that we think the saga can bring to people that they've been missing, and we're hoping to bring them that, and at the same time, have them feel that it's all new. "Star Wars" may be familiar territory for Kasdan, but it's Kinberg's first foray into the world of the Wookiees. Kinberg broke onto the scene with his original screenplay for "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," the 2005 action comedy starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. He wrote the scripts for "X-Men: The Last Stand" and Robert Downey Jr."s "Sherlock Holmes." More recently, he penned "X-Men: Days of Future Past" and produced Neill Blomkamp's upcoming "Elysium." Hero Complex sat down with Kinberg earlier this year to talk about his "Star Wars" visions and memories. HC: What's it like to be bundled in the same category as Lawrence Kasdan and Michael Arndt? SK: I'm not in the same category as Lawrence Kasdan and Michael Arndt. It's great to have a chance to work with those guys. Larry is really an idol of mine. He is, as much as anybody, the reason I wanted to get into screenwriting when I was a kid. "Raiders" and "Empire Strikes Back" were the two things that I saw when I was younger that I wanted to one day somehow emulate. So having the opportunity to be around him is as exciting as any aspect of the "Star Wars" process. Screenwriter Simon Kinberg in 2005. Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times HC: Is it intimidating to work with iconic characters in a universe that's already so fleshed out? SK: Well, I've worked in franchises where they have a long legacy, like the X-Men, or like Sherlock Holmes even, where you have a big fan base, and you have a lot of material to draw from. But I haven't worked in anything like "Star Wars." It's definitely like the cultural referent for our generation. So it's daunting and exciting. PHOTOS: "Star Wars" fans become Jedi padawans at Lightsaber school HC: So how do you approach it? Do you incorporate the extended universe or start fresh or go back to 30 years ago? Where do you start? SK: We're really at the early phases of figuring out the details, but the spirit of the original movie is the thing I fell in love with, so it's the spirit of that that I think will guide us. HC: Larry Kasdan said that what sets the original movies apart is that they're more about people than the films that followed. Do you plan to take this new film back in that direction? SK: Completely. I think what worked so well in all of the "Star Wars" movies is the characters. I think the reason that they're different than other science fiction or other genre movies is because George [Lucas] created a universe of people that you wanted to go back and see over and over again, and that's why it's spanned and spawned so many different mediums, so many different generations, every different language. You want to go back and see those characters, like I did when I was a kid. "Empire Strikes Back" was the first movie I saw in a movie theater more than once. And I went back 10, 15 times in the theater, and I've seen it probably over a 100 times since. But I saw it that many times in the theater because I loved those characters. I loved Han, I loved Leia, I loved Luke, I was right at the age when I was old enough to start to understand the nuance of that movie. I think I was too young for "New Hope" when it came out in the theater, although I loved it and it was my favorite film until "Empire." And then really, that changed my life, that movie. HC: Which of those memorable characters is your favorite? SK: There's so many that I love and for different reasons. I really love Han Solo. He does that thing that Larry does so well. He's really human and real, but also really fun and banter-y and larger than life. And when I was a kid, I wanted to be Han Solo. What if Darth Vader was a good dad? Sith Lord no match for teen Leia Jedi padawans enroll in lightsaber school New "Star Wars" coming every year starting in 2015 "Star Wars": Disney confirms stand-alone films "Star Wars": Patton Oswalt reveals his dream plot "Star Wars": Larry Kasdan wants film to "start fresh" Frank Oz ready to return to Yoda for spinoff Obama White House says no to Death Star petition Abrams directing "Star Wars": Many voices cry out