JJ Abrams to Direct Star Wars Episode VII

[MontyCircus]

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/01/24/jj-abrams-reportedly-agrees-to-direct-star-wars-7

Encouraging!

 

[gully_foyle]

As posted elsewhere in the void, what if JJ stands for Jar Jar?

 

[ctg]

I trust him and I'll wait for his version of the Star Wars saga with a great interest in my mind. JJA is more geek than Wheadon but together they could make a great script for the Episode VII.

 

[ctg]

With JJ Abrams seemingly landing the Star Wars job, Simon ponders whether he's the right choice, and where does it leave Star Trek?


By now, you're probably more than likely aware that Disney appears to have settled on its choice to direct the next Star Wars movie. News broke last night that JJ Abrams had become the clear frontrunner, and that he was set to be installed as the man to make Star Wars: Episode VII.
We should say right up front that neither Abrams nor Disney has of yet confirmed the news. But there appears to be substance to the reports, and it's looking very much as though Disney has found its director.


The Star Wars director rumour mill has been going around in circles ever since it was announced that Disney had bought Lucasfilm up, and that Episode VII was to be the first fruit of the deal. Speculation seemed to be dealing with every living successful director, in near alphabetical order, but if The Wrap's report is correct, one or two names got a lot closer than others.


Ben Affleck, for instance, was reportedly in contention for the job. Slashfilm meanwhile reports that rumours of Matthew Vaughn being in talks weren't that far wide of the mark. Vaughn reportedly was looking to cast Chloe Grace Moretz in his take on Star Wars, although again, there's no confirmation as to that.


It looks as though Steven Spielberg may have had an influence though in the final decision to go with Abrams though. The two worked together on Super 8, and Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy is Spielberg's long-time producing partner. Spielberg reportedly was "instrumental" in Kennedy's choice of Abrams, according to Slashfilm.


It's no secret that Abrams is a massive Star Wars fan, although he's been traditionally coy about the project in the past. Abrams isn't one to talk about things until they're ready to be talked about, and towards the end of last year, he was quoted as saying that he believed "I will be going as a paying moviegoer", playing down any reports of him doing the movie.

Read More: http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/star-wars/24233/jj-abrams-star-wars-star-trek-a-few-thoughts

 

[biodroid]

JJ is the modern Spielberg/Lucas he has proved it with Star Trek and Super 8. As long as the script is top notch he will do a great job, he knows how to use SFX to drive the story as well as for eye candy.

 

[GWakeling]

Yeah,

I'm pretty sure JJ can do a good job with Star Wars. Many of the TV shows I love have him at their helm and I LOVE the new life he's managed to breathe into Star Trek. As long as he makes correct choices and has a good initial script to work from, I can see this plan going extremely well!

 

[Gordian Knot]

Well no-one could do worse than Georgie did with the prequels. But I'm not sure J.J. is the best choice to bring the Epic back to Star Wars either. Looks like we are going to be stuck with him for better or worse.......

 

[stephen.samuels]

Abrams was clear choice, depending on how man of steel is received Snyder may have had a shout

 

[Reivax26]

He created the entire Star Wars universe, so blaming him for the prequel trilogy is going a bit far I think. People expected it to be as good as 4-6, and that was the problem.

The only thing that was bad about the prequels was Jar Jar. I admit that he was terrible and someone should have slapped George across the face after they heard the voice over for the first time.

JJ Abrams will do a good job with it.

 

[Huttman]

Oh God no. Not JJ, please. If it must be so, please make sure he is surrounded by plenty of qualified people who actually know how to combine a good story with good special effects. Please keep his hands off the script at all times while he runs the camera equipment. Please and thank you.

This worries me more than anything else I have heard so far. To be fair, I don't know who wrote the script for Star Trek (reboot), but JJ allowed certain story elements in that film that made it one of the worst most unbelievable films I have ever seen. I want to like it, I really do. That film though, had no heart (or very little), it had nostalgia going for it. The sacrifice of Kirks father and young Spock scenes were touching, but the story from that point is complete rubbish. Very pretty rubbish, but rubbish all the same. The deleted scenes for that flick showed me they actually had a decent story that explained things so much better than what come out, but they didn't use them. Why? The villian had 125 years to warn his people of an impeding supernova that is going to destroy his beloved home world so he decides to annihilate the home world of the one person who desperately tried to help him along with every other planet whom they were friends with throughout the galaxy? Is this the kind of crappy storytelling we are in store for? At least the story for the prequels made sense.

To be fair, his movies are generally entertaining, but I think there certainly is a danger we will be short-changed by this next film and just have another summer fx popcorn blockbuster. I hope the powers that be will hold Abrams to Ardant's script closely. I hope the powers that be will have set designs that don't look like the interior to soda bottling factories for engine rooms. I hope its the movie we are all actually waiting for.

 

[Lenny]

Orci and Kurtzman, two of Abrams' frequent collaborators, wrote the Star Trek script. The sequel is being written by Orci, Kurtzman, and new addition Damon Lindelof (also one of Abrams' collaborators) - I can't see that pleasing people who didn't like the first!

---

Anyway, for those who may have had reservations in accepting the news (to be honest, I thought it was only a rumour) LucasFilm confirmed Abrams' appointment yesterday: http://starwars.com/news/star-wars-...j-abrams-to-direct-star-wars-episode-vii.html

After a bevy of emails and phone calls, the formalities have been wrapped up, and at long last everyone can exhale and properly share the word with an excited Internet. Yes, J.J. Abrams will direct Star Wars: Episode VII, the first of a new series of Star Wars films to come from Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy. Abrams will be directing and Academy Award-winning writer Michael Arndt will write the screenplay.

Arndt, if anyone's interested, wrote the screenplays for Little Miss Sunshine and Toy Story 3. He was also involved with writing the screenplay for Oblivion, a SF film with Tom Cruise that's being released this year, and looks quite interesting.

The wording of "under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy" suggests to me that Abrams may be reigned in. Whilst Kennedy has a decent record, I'm not so sure about a director being told how to do a film by the producer. Abrams will have been hired because of his vision (whatever you think about the guy, he has a great deal of experience with science fiction, and some of it is pretty incredible), but may well be in danger of having it stifled.

 

[Huttman]

And that may be a reason I still hold out any hope for this project. Star Trek and Star Wars have always been two different visions and styles. I have always loved both and never really saw them as competing in my mind, but they have been and in think should remain separate identities. I have nothing personal against Abrams, and I will go see the new ST film and I'm sure enjoy it, but the inevitable style crossover might prove unavoidable. I for one do not want to see the style of SW change, I just want to see a great film that feels like it belongs.
I have always been a strong supporter for the underdog and it seems Lucas has been in that position ever since TPM came out. I've defended those movies tooth and nail and what ever one says about those films, the story (to some boring political rhetoric) was a fascinating well written story, believable albeit at times rushed to push the story along or too much composition for some. But it had a sound plot. JJ Trek had missed the mark with that, but it had everything else people thought the prequels lacked, I think. So that's my peace. DisneyFilm, are you listening?

 

[atmobeam]

none of my family is a sci-fi fan. i pretty much grew up not knowing what star trek is until i was about 14 or so. My first star trek film was J.J Abrams' one and i was overwhelmed. He did a great job. He made me want to watch the older star trek films.

so i'm very excited to see Abrams will take control of the galactic republic. I'm a huge star wars fanboy, and would love to see what he can do with the saga.

 

[Harpo]

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For months now 'Star Wars' fans have had to make the most of the occasional casting rumour to survive in lieu of the people making the movie saying any words.

Well not any more! Director J.J. Abrams has spoken to Entertainment Weekly about his next project, but remained as secretive as we've come to expect.

"It's been nice see how important it is and to be reminded how important it is to so many people," he said. "I remember reading a thing somewhere, someone wrote about just wanting ['Episode VII'] to feel real; to feel authentic.

​

"I remember I felt that way when I was 11 years old when I saw the first one. As much of a fairy tale as it was, it felt real. And to me, that is exactly right."

During the brief interview that took place at Abrams' Bad Robot offices in Los Angeles, he was also asked which of the previous films best exemplifies what he wants to do "in terms of the spirit or tone of 'Episode VII'".

"Impossible for me to say because it's going to be an evolving thing. I would say we are working really hard to make a movie that feels as emotional and authentic and exciting as possible.

​

"Whatever your favourite 'Star Wars' movie is and how to compare it is really sort of subjective."

So nothing Earth shattering being said, just further talk to reassure fans that these new films are well aware of the prequel trilogy's mistakes and are striving to be entirely different. Expect Abrams to keep talking of his own love for the series as well.

 

[BenSt]

I did enjoy Star Trek, as a reboot it was not bad at all. With Star Wars though he's going to have to be careful so as not to make it seem too disjuncted, the worst thing for the franchise would be for it to be too far removed. Still, it's kind of a scary though JJ Abrams having his fingers in both of America's two top franchises. I'm looking forward to it.

 

[jastius]

does this announcement mean that Mr. Abrams will not be continuing with the Star Trek franchise? no more sequels to be expected?
I guess when disney calls, one must answer... a command performance.

 

[Lenny]

Kurtzman and Orci are already at work writing the third Trek film, and Abrams is still going to be creatively involved, but he confirmed about a fortnight ago that he wouldn't be directing it.

J.J. Abrams and Simon Pegg Talk STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS on Blu-ray | Collider

 

[BenSt]

does this announcement mean that Mr. Abrams will not be continuing with the Star Trek franchise? no more sequels to be expected?
I guess when disney calls, one must answer... a command performance.

Not necessarily, many excellent directors make more than one movie at a time.

 

[biodroid]

Peter Jackson does 3 at a time so its possible. They just dont have any family life for a few months.

 

[Perpetual Man]

A release date for Star Wars Episode VII has now been announced: December 18th 2015