J.J. Abrams Signs On To Direct STAR WARS: EPISODE VII!
Despite previously saying that he likely won't be involved, recent reports reveal that director J.J. Abrams is moving from Star Trek to Star Wars as he is set to helm Disney's Episode VII, which is targeting a 2015 release. Hit the jump for more details.
Here's some incredibly exciting news. It appears that the search for a director to take on Disney and LucasFilm's Star Wars: Episode VII has finally come to an end, and while the likes of Jon Favreau (Iron Man) and Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class) were heavily rumored to be taking a stab at the legendary sci-fi franchise, it turns out that an unexpected helmer has landed the job. According to The Wrap, J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, Super 8) has signed on to direct Star Wars VII, which is targeting a 2015 release. Recent Golden Globe winner Ben Affleck (Argo) was in contention for the highly coveted job, and SlashFilm says that Matthew Vaughn, who was also in consideration, may have pitched to have his Kick-Ass star Chloe Moretz as the lead character. Interestingly, Abrams previously stated that he will likely watch the next Star Wars as a regular moviegoer, but he is now in control of the two biggest sci-fi franchises of all time. In the end, it was Steven Spielberg who pushed LucasFilm's Kathleen Kennedy to hire Abrams. For some time, Kennedy has been courting Abrams, who is a self-described fan of the franchise. Toy Story 3 writer Michael Ardnt is working on the script. Abrams is currently in post-production on Star Trek Into Darkness, which is set to hit theaters May 17th. What do you think of Abrams directing both Star Trek and Star Wars? Share your thoughts in the comments below.