The first film, which will face competition this weekend from Prometheus and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, is written by Even Daugherty, John Lee Hancock, and Hossein Amini.  None of those three are set to contribute to the sequel at this point, though, as a veteran with blockbuster bona fides has been brought aboard.  That veteran would be David Koepp, whose credits include Jurassic Park, Spider-Man, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, War of the Worlds, Angels & Demons, and many an uncredited but lucrative script polish.

In addition to Koepp being tasked with the screenplay, director Rupert Sanders is in discussions to return as well, according to Deadline.  Sanders, a director of many visually-striking commercials, made his feature debut on Snow White and the Huntsman.  Ordinarily, an untested helmer would be contractually committed to sequels when the studio locked him down for such an expensive endeavor.  It seems Sanders had a better deal than your average first-timer, though, and currently has several potential projects from which to choose.  Even so, he's said to be eager to direct the sequel, so he could very well make it his sophomore feature.

It's far more cut-and-dried for the film's stars, which include Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, and Charlize Theron.  Their contracts included options to be brought back for two sequels, so Universal has that covered.  That's likely part of the desire to continue the series, since Stewart looks to be branching well beyond Twilight, while Hemsworth's profile continues to rise thanks to his signature role as Thor, as well as the upcoming Ron Howard Formula 1 racing movie Rush.

Hiring Koepp is a big indicator that the studio is interested in really making another installment of this series happen, but it doesn't yet seem a sure thing.  The next few weeks are going to be busy ones in both domestic and international markets, meaning Snow White and the Huntsman will presumably have to hold up enough to indicate an ongoing interest.