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J.J. Abrams reportedly tapped to direct next 'Star Wars' installment

LOS ANGELES –  Another universe of sci-fi fans has been put in the hands of J.J. Abrams.

According to multiple trade reports, Abrams, 46, is set to direct the next installment of "Star Wars," which Disney has said will be "Episode 7" and due out in 2015. Disney bought "Star Wars" maker Lucasfilm last month for $4.06 billion.

The Emmy-award-winning director of the TV show "Lost" also captained the reboot of "Star Trek" for rival studio Paramount Pictures, with the next installment in that series, "Star Trek: Into Darkness," set to hit theaters May 17.

Citing unnamed sources, the news was reported earlier by Hollywood trade outlets The Wrap, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter and Daily Variety.

Messages left by The Associated Press for Abrams' representatives as well as Disney and Lucasfilm were not immediately returned.

Soon after the news broke Thursday afternoon, websites were flush with chatter. On Twitter, "J.J. Abrams," "Star Wars" and "(hash)Star Trek" were all trending topics.

Roberto Orci, a producer and writer who has worked with Abrams on "Star Trek," "Star Trek: Into Darkness," and "Mission: Impossible III," appeared to confirm the reports on Twitter. In response to a question about Abrams' involvement, Orci tweeted back "True!" He also responded to a Spanish-speaking questioner, "Creo que si!" ("I think so.")

Despite denying his interest in directing the next "Star Wars" following The Walt Disney Co.'s October announcement, many people pegged Abrams as the most obvious choice.

Abrams spoke about the plot of the original "Star Wars" in the lecture series "TED Talks" in March 2007, and reportedly became enamored of "Lost" co-creator Damon Lindelof partly because Lindelof was wearing a "Star Wars" T-shirt when they first met.

In 2009, Abrams told the Los Angeles Times: "As a kid, `Star Wars' was much more my thing than `Star Trek' was."

Abrams also worked with Lucasfilm's Industrial Light and Magic special effects division for "Mission: Impossible III."

He is the second big name associated with the new "Star Wars" films to be launched under the Disney umbrella. Late last year, Lucasfilm confirmed that Michael Arndt, who wrote "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Toy Story 3" would pen the screenplay for "Episode 7."

Adam Frazier, a staff writer for the entertainment website GeeksofDoom.com, said Abrams should be able to make the next "Star Wars" original but at the same time appease longtime fans.

"He took the `Star Trek' franchise, which was just drowning in misery, and he was able to bring that back to life," Frazier said. "If there's anyone that can do it with `Star Wars' I think it's him."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/01/24/jj-abrams-reportedly-tapped-to-direct-next-tar-wars-installment/?intcmp=features#ixzz2IwwthjCw

Comments

  • LaserwolfLaserwolf Member Posts: 2,383
    Great news. Peter Jackson was my first choice because he really knows how to make a movie feel epic, but Abrams was right up there with him. I never realized it until recently, but the second trilogy was pretty awful. As much as I enjoyed Star Wars for what it was, it really needs the new blood. I had my doubts about Abrams his Star Trek reboot but he nailed it and I have no doubt he'll take the potential of Star Wars and make something out of it.

    image

  • CleffyCleffy Member RarePosts: 6,412
    Prepare yourselves for Jedi wearing Black Leather form fitting suits.
  • LaserwolfLaserwolf Member Posts: 2,383
    I think you might be mixing Abrams up with Bryan Singer or maybe Joss Whedon.

    image

  • dave6660dave6660 Member UncommonPosts: 2,699

    Why can't they give Star Wars a rest.  It's time to leave well enough alone.

    Doesn't Hollywood have any original ideas left?

    “There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes this whole universe for a vast practical joke, though the wit thereof he but dimly discerns, and more than suspects that the joke is at nobody's expense but his own.”
    -- Herman Melville

  • ThorkuneThorkune Member UncommonPosts: 1,969

    I think J.J. Abrams is a great choice.

     

    Here is another article: Link

  • ElikalElikal Member UncommonPosts: 7,912

    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

    Ok NOW Star Wars is officially dead! :(

     

    Why... WHY!! image

    People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert

  • SidraketSidraket Member Posts: 79
    Originally posted by dave6660

    Why can't they give Star Wars a rest.  It's time to leave well enough alone.

    Doesn't Hollywood have any original ideas left?

    But starwars wasnt really an original idea either. Its your basic monomyth, its just in space.

  • dalin89dalin89 Member Posts: 33
    Originally posted by Elikal

    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

    Ok NOW Star Wars is officially dead! :(

     

    Why... WHY!! image

    It will be live forever in our heart, right???    LoL

  • ElikalElikal Member UncommonPosts: 7,912

    Top 9 Things That Happen With J.J. Abrams Behind Star Wars

    http://www.wired.com/geekmom/2013/01/top-nine-abrams-on-star-wars/

    Best: #5 Star Wars Episode VII will be a personal documentary filmed by Chewbacca on Super 8.

     

     

    Also don't miss this: Star Wars in JJ Abrams style:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-GMNm0-0-Ko#!

    People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert

  • erictlewiserictlewis Member UncommonPosts: 3,022

    well if he does to star wars what he did to star trek there will be no trilogy.  Man what a bad choice. 

     

  • BrenelaelBrenelael Member UncommonPosts: 3,821
    Originally posted by erictlewis

    well if he does to star wars what he did to star trek there will be no trilogy.  Man what a bad choice. 

     

    What? Turn a dieing franchise into a multi-billion dollar hit movie? Man that would be terrible if that happened to Star Wars as well! image

     

    Bren

    while(horse==dead)
    {
    beat();
    }

  • tixylixtixylix Member UncommonPosts: 1,288

    I don't rate him, what has he done? Star Trek which was stupid action bullshit with over use of CGI and had such dumb moments like when they were sky diving to that platform. He done Lost too which was shit, one of the worst most over rated and poorly acting TV shows I've seen. 

    Hopefully he understands the prequels are shit.

  • xxtriadxxxxtriadxx Member UncommonPosts: 155

    He didn't do that great with Star Trek but maybe his action movie style will work better with Star Wars.

    Shrug.

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