Disney Makes It Official: J.J. Abrams Will Direct The New Star Wars Movie

By Rudie Obias | Updated

This article is more than 2 years old

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Well, it’s official! A few days ago, word got out that J.J. Abrams would follow up Star Trek Into Darkness by directing Star Wars: Episode VII. This news created a new division between Star Wars fans and Star Trek fans everywhere. Now Disney has made it official and released an announcement featuring the thoughts of Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas.

It’s still hard to imagine J.J. Abrams will make a new Star Wars movie, only years after he rebooted the Star Trek series. His work with the Star Trek series led Kennedy and Lucas to bring on J.J. Abrams on as the new Star Wars director.

‘It’s very exciting to have J.J. aboard leading the charge as we set off to make a new Star Wars movie,’ said Kennedy. ‘J.J. is the perfect director to helm this. Beyond having such great instincts as a filmmaker, he has an intuitive understanding of this franchise. He understands the essence of the Star Wars experience, and will bring that talent to create an unforgettable motion picture.’

Who would be a better selection to direct the new Star Wars movie than a director who holds the saga as high as Abrams? Hell, he made the new Star Trek movies as a mirror image of Star Wars. Abrams says:

‘To be a part of the next chapter of the Star Wars saga, to collaborate with Kathy Kennedy and this remarkable group of people, is an absolute honor,’ J.J. Abrams said. ‘I may be even more grateful to George Lucas now than I was as a kid.’

It’s still unclear how much sway George Lucas has with Lucasfilm now, but apparently he did have a hand in choosing the series’ next director. There is no doubt that George Lucas would want someone who would keep the values and excitement intact with the new Star Wars movie. George Lucas went on to say:

I’ve consistently been impressed with J.J. as a filmmaker and storyteller. He’s an ideal choice to direct the new Star Wars film and the legacy couldn’t be in better hands.

Do you feel better about the decision now? This is a new generation of Star Wars, and we have the perfect director for the job. Now let’s hope Star Wars: Episode VII will live up to the hype. Otherwise, we’ll have another Phantom Menace on our hands.

Star Wars: Episode VII will hit theaters everywhere (most likely in 3D) sometime in 2015.

Read the complete official Disney announcement on StarWars.com.