J.J. Abrams will direct the next Star Wars film for Disney, taking stewardship of one of Hollywood's most iconic and lucrative film franchises, an individual with knowledge of the production told TheWrap.
Ben Affleck was also in contention, another individual with knowledge of the talks told TheWrap.
Ever since Disney bought Lucasfilm last year and announced it would make new Star Wars films, fans, members of the media and industry executives have speculated about which director would take the job. Abrams' name always came up, but he told Entertainment Weekly in November that he wasn't going to take the job.
He did say Star Wars was the first movie that "blew my mind" in terms of special effects.
Lucasfilm Chief Kathleen Kennedy has been courting Abrams, one of the most successful directors and producers in Hollywood -- and a man beloved by fanboys. He runs one of the industry's top production companies, Bad Robot, and created or co-created television franchises like Lost, Fringe and Alias. He has also directed film spectacles Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek and Super 8.
The lure of the Jedi was too strong, and it will no doubt complicate his relationship with Paramount, where Bad Robot is a top supplier. Abrams has been feverishly working on Star Trek Into Darkness, his second Star Trek film since he rebooted the franchise in 2009. Into Darkness, still in post-production, opens May 18.
Though he has several producing jobs in front of him (Cloverfield 2, Mission: Impossible 5), Abrams had been uncommitted as a director. He will have to jump right into Star Wars, which Disney has slated for a 2015 release.
Little Miss Sunshine and Toy Story 3 screenwriter Michael Arndy is penning the script.
Reached by TheWrap, Lynne Hale, spokeswoman for Lucasfilm, declined to comment immediately. Neither CAA, which represents Abrams, nor Bad Robot immediately responded to requests for comment.
Abrams previously said about the possibility of more Star Wars films :
"Part of me? Thrilled. Part of me? Terrified. Most of me? Thrillified".
And when he asked about potentially helming Episode 7 :
"Star Wars is one of my favorite movies of all time. I almost feel that, in a weird way, the opportunity for whomever it is to direct that movie, it comes with the burden of being that kind of iconic movie and series. I was never a big Star Trek fan growing up, so for me, working on Star Trek didn't have any of that almost fatal sacrilege. So I am looking forward more then anyone to the next iterations of Star Wars, but I believe I will be going as a paying moviegoer".
Source.
I'm calling it : blue lens flares every time lightsabers touch !
Mind-blowing news, isn't it ? Especially here since many of SpoilerTV regular readers are huge Lost and/or Fringe fans (and I'm one of them). What do you think of JJ Abrams now involved in the other biggest science-fiction franchise of all time after taking on Star Trek ? Tell us all in the comments !
