I say this with a heavy heart but we’re getting word that J.J. Abrams has officially signed a binding contract and is now legally obligated to direct the announced Star Wars Episode VII for Disney/Lucas Film.
After weeks of shortlist stories, rumors, and denials, it appears that J.J. Abrams will be directing Star Wars: Episode VII. Lucasfilm Chief and Star Wars producer Kathleen Kennedy has apparently been courting Abrams for a while, and Abrams himself “revealed” in December that he turned down the directing gig because he’d “rather be in the audience not knowing what was coming, rather than being involved in the minutiae of making the film.”
So, now that we have a director, here’s what we know about the new Star Wars so far:
- Michael Arndt is writing the screenplay.
- Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg are writing screenplays for other Star Wars films that could either be sequels to Episode VII or spinoff movies featuring other characters.
- Zack Snyder may or may not be directing a spinoff Star Wars movie set in the same universe as this new trilogy.
So Abrams will be directing and the internet will be set afire by his non-announcements regarding the film between now and 2015. I don’t like J.J. Abrams. I DONT. That said, I think he’s a really talented director, and I really do belive that he’ll be able to direct an enjoyable Star Wars film. I’m excited to see what he comes up with I just am not at all excited about his preferred “keep it a secret” approach to marketing. Did I mention that they gave him the keys to the thing that i’d like least to be kept a secret? It is sort of a match made in heaven and hell at the same time.
Via: Collider
