Enough with the rumors! As if re-igniting the Star Trek franchise wasn’t enough, JJ Abrams has landed the biggest job in genre cinema of the moment: he’ll direct Star Wars: Episode VII for Disney and Lucasfilm.
Despite playing coy back in November when asked directly by Hollywood Life about the gig (“I am looking forward more than anyone to the next iterations of Star Wars, but I believe I will be going as a paying moviegoer!”) and telling our own Mark Dinning he couldn't possibly do it, Abrams has made a deal to sit in the captain’s chair for the film, as first reported by The Wrap's sources and now confirmed by Lucasfilm and Disney.
Though Ben Affleck had apparently been in the running, Abrams’ sci-fi credentials made him the natural choice for the gig.
Star Wars: Episode VII will boast a script from Little Miss Sunshine and Toy Story 3 writer Michael Arndt, a lifelong Wars fan who lectures about the script for the 1977 original as a model of great storytelling.
So what will happen in the film itself? What a question to ask! With Abrams now at the helm, things will be wrapped in more layers of secrecy than before.
The official announcement arrived Friday night in a statement from Lucasfilm, Disney and Abrams. "It's very exciting to have JJ aboard leading the charge as we set off to make a new Star Wars movie," said executive producer Kathleen Kennedy. "JJ is the perfect director to helm this. Beyond having such great instincts as a filmmaker, he has an intuitive understanding of this franchise. He understands the essence of the Star Wars experience, and will bring that talent to create an unforgettable motion picture."
George Lucas went on to say, "I've consistently been impressed with JJ as a filmmaker and storyteller. He's an ideal choice to direct the new Star Wars film and the legacy couldn't be in better hands."
"To be a part of the next chapter of the Star Wars saga, to collaborate with Kathy Kennedy and this remarkable group of people, is an absolute honour,” JJ Abrams said. “I may be even more grateful to George Lucas now than I was as a kid."
Abrams is already showing some power in the negotiations: according to the Hollywood Reporter, he has not committed to the 2015 release date Disney had planned and will see where things stand once he's finished developing the script with Arndt.
