Parallel Universe

Report: J.J. Abrams will direct new 'Star Wars' for Disney

Director jumps from one iconic sci-fi franchise to another

By DonKaye_ParallelUniverse Jan 24, 2013 4:07PM
J.J. Abrams
LucasFilm and its owner Disney have reportedly decided on a director for the new "Star Wars" movie, and it's J.J. Abrams.

According to The Wrap, Abrams beat out Ben Affleck for the job, for which names like Brad Bird ("Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol"), Guillermo Del Toro ("Pacific Rim") and David Fincher ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo") have also been mentioned.


"Star Wars: Episode VII" will be the first new film in the franchise since 2005's "Revenge of the Sith," the last of three prequels directed by series creator George Lucas.

It will also be the first since Lucas sold his company last year to Disney in a surprise deal that stunned fans everywhere, who thought that the "Star Wars" saga was finished theatrically.

Related: J.J. Abrams grants 'Star Trek' fan's dying wish

If Abrams is confirmed as the director, that means he'll be jumping from one iconic sci-fi property to another: he's just finishing up "Star Trek Into Darkness," his second film in that rebooted franchise, for a May 17 release through Paramount.

Abrams and his Bad Robot company are also behind numerous genre properties on the big and small screens, including "Lost," the just-concluded "Fringe," "Revolution," "Super 8" and others.

It was just in November that Abrams was asked if he'd be interested in directing a new "Star Wars" film. Although admitting he'd been approached, he said that as a fan, the prospect was almost too intimidating for him to take on.

It's unclear if his involvement with "Star Wars" will hamper his ability to direct a third "Star Trek" film, which will presumably get underway if "Into Darkness" is as big a hit as 2009's "Star Trek."

No one at Disney or LucasFilm has officially commented on this report yet. "Star Wars - Episode VII" is tentatively scheduled to arrive in the summer of 2015.
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20Comments
BLAH19
Jan 24, 2013 5:23PM
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Well, I suppose the last Star Trek film was closer to Star Wars in spirit than Gene Rodenberry's stuff.  

Just, no time travel and tone down the lens flare, please.

Allois
Jan 24, 2013 5:06PM
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I hope they consider all the many goo star wars novels out there for ideas....no homages please
Kaomond
Jan 25, 2013 1:06AM
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J.J. Abrams is responsible for that Star Trek monstrosity, a badly written piece of crap with non-stop bad acting and overblown special effects, not to mention such trash as Lost, Alias, Alcatraz and Fringe (the finale was so dissapointing), don't even mention Cloverfield and SuperCrap erm i mean Super8.

The only decent thing he wrote, directed or produced was Armageddon and to be honest it was Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton and Ben Affleck that saved that film form the trash heap.

I'm more worried about the new Starwars now than i was before.

 

And the guy who said "Well, I suppose the last Star Trek film was closer to Star Wars in spirit than Gene Rodenberry's stuff.", you're talking out your backside, Gene Rodenberry created Star Trek, EVERYTHING he did was the spirit of Star Trek, anything created since is just a shadow trying to emulate the real thing.

Marlow Weaver
Jan 24, 2013 4:59PM
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No, No, No, No, he already ruined Star Trek for me.  I don't want him ruining Star Wars.  He took Gene Roddenberry's vision, and threw it out.  He did not know what Trek was about.  It was not about shooting things, and being at war.  When they changed everything, they ruined it.  I don't want him screwing up Star Wars to.  Hopefully they will change their minds.
Spaceopera
Jan 25, 2013 1:03AM
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Star Trek was great if all you wanted was action with no substance.  There are about 40 plot holes.  I was hoping for better with Star Wars.  There is only one man for the job and his name is Joss.
DaTroofHurtz
Jan 24, 2013 5:41PM
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NOOOOO!  Star Wars: Episode VII LENS FLARE?

 

Lots of shakes and lights and no substance?  Misproportioned, ugly spaceships that we don'[t get a decent look at because everyone KNOWS they are ugly?

 

Let's get someone else!  Get a bum off the street!  ANYONE!  I'll do it for free!  lol

twiki-robot
Jan 25, 2013 1:32AM
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Original 3 movies ONLY.....f*ck the rest.
RinceWind12
Jan 24, 2013 4:49PM
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So, is this going to be the episode where we find out that Obi-Wan was actually killed in his battle with Darth Maul and the rest of the series was just his dreaming in Limbo?
the borg star trek the next generation
Jan 25, 2013 1:22AM
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Well, this is sucky news.  I do not like jj Abraham's at all.  Lost was sucky, cloverfield was sucky, Mission Impossible 3 was sucky, Super 8 was sucky, Star trek the remake movie was abysmal, in other words extremely bad and sucky (that is five sucky things so far).  The star trek remake sequel looks equally bad and sucky and looks like a rip off of star trek 2.  Wasn't that a bad thing before for people?  Why yes it was, dumb people you all are, Yoda speak.  I cringe thinking of Yoda now, seeing as he is affiliated with the talentless jj Abraham's who is sucky.

I knew I was right in not been thrilled or excited for the news of more Star Wars movies back on Halloween, because I knew that disney and lucasfilm would make a huge, colossal and grave mistake.
I know one thing though, I will be spending a lot less money now, i will not be spending my money on anymore Star Wars merchandise or movies or anything disney related, that means Marvel comic films too, oh well.

Check off list - 

1.  Cancel Star Wars Insider subscription - Done

2.  Cancel Star Wars - The Clone Wars Magazine Subscription - Done

3.  Cancel Star Wars Dark Horse Comics order - Done

4.  Cancel order for Star Wars - The Rise Of Darth Maul DVD - Done

5.  Cancel order of latest Star Wars figurines - Done

6.  Will not see anymore disney movies/tv shows - Done

7.  Will not purchase anymore Disney/lucasfilm merchandise - Done

8.  Also cancelled Star Trek Magazine subscription - Done

9.  Will not buy Star Wars 1313 game - Done

10.  Will not buy Star Wars books - Done

11.  Will not buy Star Wars legos - Done

12.  Will not see anymore Marvel films, except for the X-Men films, at least Disney do not have that series - Done

13.  Will not buy anymore Marvel DVDs, except for the X-Men films, since Disney has nothing to do with them - Done

14.  Will not buy anymore Marvel comics - Done

15.  Will not buy anymore Marvel or Star Wars or any other Disney video games - Done

I will not see Pirates Of The Caribbean 5 anymore, of The Lone Ranger, or Iron Man 3, or Thor 2, or Captain America 2, or The Avengers 2, or Guardians Of The Galaxy, or Ant Man, or any other Disney affiliated films and tv series.

I will also never watch anymore Indiana Jones movies, seeing as Lucasfilm let this mistake of jj being director happen.  Huge mistake Disney, Lucasfilm.

On the bright side, I will be saving a lot of money.

Now I have enough money to subscribe to Maxi Mounds website and purchase Maxi Mounds' dvds.

http://www.maximound​s.com

http://www.maximound​s.com/videos.htm
scottmorgan903
Jan 24, 2013 7:54PM
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Well it looks like old JJ Dicknose will now try to ruin the other half of great sci-fi. The world can now just blow up for all I care
Mark713
Jan 24, 2013 5:32PM
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This news (though still unconfirmed) goes a long, long way toward easing the pain of the end of Fringe last week.
Darthsith
Jan 25, 2013 12:18AM
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I guess this will be the first J.J. Abrams movie I will see willingly. Had zero interest in Cloverfield, refuse to see his Star Trek reboots, saw Super 8 on cable, did care about any of it. This new is just "meh" to me.
sumodude
Jan 24, 2013 10:19PM
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It's not lens flare, it's the force...
CRJ_Pilot
Jan 24, 2013 5:40PM
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I didn't watch George Lucas' rape the original theatrical releases of the Star Wars trilogy with a so-called remake, and I refused to watch the WAY out there episodes I-III. Lucas has forever gone to the looney bin as the greatest sci-fi epic movie maker of all time. Leave it to him to finish it off entirely by selling it out to Disney, the biggest corporate rapist in the history of this planet. 
The Tablet of Doom
Jan 24, 2013 5:54PM
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Hasn't the prequel and the 5 or so different reprints of the originals done enough harm?  Why do we need to water down Stars Wars more?  
Kevin Walsh
Jan 25, 2013 12:53AM
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J.J. Abrams must be the chosen one. To be the director of The Wars and The Trek is in itself the most paradoxical event in modern history. May the Forc.....errr... warp speed my friend..

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