UPDATE* J.J. Abrams to Direct the Next Star Wars Film

[Sylar]

Man of Steel director Zack Snyder is developing a Star Wars film that will take place outside of the planned new trilogy of movies.Vulture reports that the helmer, who has also made 300, Watchmen and Sucker Punch, is "developing a Star Wars project for Lucasfilm that is set within the series’ galaxy, though parallel to the next trilogy.
It will be an as-yet-untitled Jedi epic loosely based on Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 classic Seven Samurai, with the ronin and katana being replaced by the Force-wielding knights and their iconic lightsabers." Of course, Lucas' original film was inspired by Seven Samurai as well.

No word yet on where the film would take place in the Star Wars timeline, though Vulture's sources indicate it will probably not be a "numbered" episode and rather will be a standalone film set sometime after Return of the Jedi.

After acquiring Lucasfilm last fall, Disney CEO Bob Iger indicated that the plan was to release a new Star Wars film every two or three years after Episode VII, with the implication being that the new trilogy of films wouldn't be the only Star Wars in town. And indeed, this news confirms this plan.
Sources say that Snyder's Star Wars won't start production until after "Disney starts on its planned 2015 release of Star Wars: Episode VII." Meanwhile, we're all still waiting for the announcement as to who will direct that film. How long are they gonna keep us hanging?! We seem to be made to suffer -- it's our lot in life!

Funnily enough, Snyder said in November that he wasn't interested in helming Star Wars: Episode VII. Well, I guess he was being honest…

oh my..

source: http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/01/1...star-wars-film

[Blacksite]

Update: The Hollywood Reporter spoke to Snyder's spokesperson, who denies this report: "While he is super flattered because he is a huge fan, Zack is not involved in any way with the new Star Wars. He is currently in post on his two films, Man of Steel and 300: Battle of Artemisia."

A denial would be expected at this point. But for now we'll have to take Snyder's rep's word for it. That said, Vulture is a legitimate outlet known for its scoops, so let's see how this all plays out in the coming months…

Good. In my opinion, they should stick to the numbered episodes.

[DreDayDetox]

Why are people scared of directing Star Wars? I can name you 5 directors who could totally make a fucking awesome Star Wars movie.

Ridley Scott
JJ Abrams
Joss Whedon
James Cameron
Wachowski's

Get any of them to make a movie, whether it's following the trilogies or spin-off, and it will rock your fucking socks off. Stop holding the original trilogy as this sacred piece of holy art, as if it's the holy grail of all cinema ever made in the history of mankind. And this is a rant coming from a Star Wars fanboy.

[Blacksite]

I don't have a problem with any new blood directing a Star Wars movie. I just don't see the point in releasing a spin-off or two when you've already made plans to release a new trilogy. Is it suddenly a bad idea to take it one movie at a time?

Not sure if that was directed at me...

[snooper71]

Have Judd Apatow make it. The second trilogy was a big joke anyway. Might as well make it a comedy!

[DreDayDetox]

I don't have a problem with any new blood directing a Star Wars movie. I just don't see the point in releasing a spin-off or two when you've already made plans to release a new trilogy. Is it suddenly a bad idea to take it one movie at a time?

Not sure if that was directed at me...

Not directed towards you, just in general, because a lot of people were opposed to Disney buying out Lucasfilm. Remember how Marvel had a similar response among fans when it was bought out..and nothing changed, other than a small Disney logo at the start.

And I wasn't specifically saying that a spin-off should happen while the new trilogy does. I agree, I don't think they should be made at the same time. My point is: I want more Star Wars movies to be made. There are dozens, if not, hundreds of stories worth of screenplay adaptation just from comics and novels alone over the decades since the original trilogy came out.

A few good examples of potential movies I would love to see are:

The Thrawn Trilogy
The Old Republic timeline, way before the prequels
Dawn of the Jedi, again, this is the like right at the beginning of Star Wars universe, before lightsabers were even invented and sith rose for the first time
The Black Sun/Prince Xizor stories, which I think will shine the most since this has nothing to do with Jedi's, but the Coruscant criminal underworld.
Deathtroopers, this is a horror take on Star Wars and it was damn fine read.

and so many more

I'm just against the idea that Star Wars has to be left alone forever.

[Blacksite]

After seeing footage of Star Wars 1313 and a developer diary on its concept, I thought it would be really interesting to see a Star Wars movie that doesn't revolve around the Jedi/Sith mythos. Or maybe a full 2-hour CG film with actual realistic body proportions and whatnot but that'd probably take a really long time to render.

[RedDragon7]

Why are people scared of directing Star Wars? I can name you 5 directors who could totally make a fucking awesome Star Wars movie.

Ridley Scott
JJ Abrams
Joss Whedon
James Cameron
Wachowski's

Get any of them to make a movie, whether it's following the trilogies or spin-off, and it will rock your fucking socks off. Stop holding the original trilogy as this sacred piece of holy art, as if it's the holy grail of all cinema ever made in the history of mankind. And this is a rant coming from a Star Wars fanboy.

Considering the turn out of the prequel trilogy, you can't throw any director at it. Most of the directors you listed are unfortunately quite digitally inclined which is what killed the prequel trilogy twice over.

Fincher is the only director who has filmed digitally and one I would trust, but he's never been one for this kind of thing.

[DreDayDetox]

Considering the turn out of the prequel trilogy, you can't throw any director at it. Most of the directors you listed are unfortunately quite digitally inclined which is what killed the prequel trilogy twice over.

Fincher is the only director who has filmed digitally and one I would trust, but he's never been one for this kind of thing.

I wanted to add Nolan too, but I'm still waiting to see how Interstellar turns out, and I'd be worried he would make Star Wars hyper-realistic. The force is non-existent, or probably a movement and the reason for lightsabers is because of proper laser technology.

[The Black Wolf]

Why are people scared of directing Star Wars? I can name you 5 directors who could totally make a fucking awesome Star Wars movie.

Ridley Scott
JJ Abrams
Joss Whedon
James Cameron
Wachowski's

Get any of them to make a movie, whether it's following the trilogies or spin-off, and it will rock your fucking socks off. Stop holding the original trilogy as this sacred piece of holy art, as if it's the holy grail of all cinema ever made in the history of mankind. And this is a rant coming from a Star Wars fanboy.

What about Michael Bay? He's a director, right?

[Blacksite]

What about Michael Bay? He's a director, right?

Yeah, but Dre was talking about good directors.

[Ernsty]

Yeah, but Dre was talking about good directors.

Ooh, burned!

I agree with every director on DreDayDetox's list

Other directors I'd love to work on Star Wars:
- Brad Bird (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Incredibles, Ratatouille, Iron Giant; he's on record as saying no he isn't though)
- Ang Lee (Life of Pi, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)
- Peter Jackson
- Steven Spielberg
- Neill Blomkamp (District 9)

[DreDayDetox]

Ooh, burned!

I agree with every director on DreDayDetox's list

Other directors I'd love to work on Star Wars:
- Brad Bird (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Incredibles, Ratatouille, Iron Giant; he's on record as saying no he isn't though)
- Ang Lee (Life of Pi, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)
- Peter Jackson
- Steven Spielberg
- Neill Blomkamp (District 9)

Shit, how did I forget him?! LOTR was compared to the original Star Wars trilogy after it came out. The Star Wars of our generation apparently dubbed. Yeah, I would love to see Peter Jackson take a shot at Star Wars. It would be very long and we'd have a 6-hour extended cut

[RedDragon7]

I wanted to add Nolan too, but I'm still waiting to see how Interstellar turns out, and I'd be worried he would make Star Wars hyper-realistic. The force is non-existent, or probably a movement and the reason for lightsabers is because of proper laser technology.

Nolan isn't hyper-realistic. The difference is, as he put it... process. He explains, so instead of seeing something just happen because it makes good action we know why its happening. I don't think a superhero movie can be done if it were "hyper-realistic" or it would probably turn out ironic.

Nonetheless, you're still right. Nolan isn't the right director for this.

Ooh, burned!

I agree with every director on DreDayDetox's list

Other directors I'd love to work on Star Wars:
- Brad Bird (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Incredibles, Ratatouille, Iron Giant; he's on record as saying no he isn't though)
- Ang Lee (Life of Pi, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)
- Peter Jackson
- Steven Spielberg
- Neill Blomkamp (District 9)

Bird would be good.

Jackson and Neil tried to make the Halo film and that busted. Right now he's in post with Elysium, so he'll be occupied for a while yet. And of course Jackson is doing the Hobbit so he couldn't produce even if he wanted to. I would rather not have Neil do it though, Star Wars handheld/steadicam? Not inspiring.

[JustinPinter]

We'll see how Man of Steel goes and if Zach Snyder is worthy of directing a Star Wars off-shoot / reboot. I'm sure it will be much better than the crap Disney pushes out.

Why are people scared of directing Star Wars? I can name you 5 directors who could totally make a fucking awesome Star Wars movie.

Ridley Scott
JJ Abrams
James Cameron
Wachowski's

In your dreams. Hahaha. I wish the Wachowski's directed the new Star Wars films.

[Sylar]

Just saw on the Twitter trends that J.J. Abrams could be directing the next star wars film

[DreDayDetox]

YES! Take out lens flare and you have an awesome Star Wars movie. I trust JJ Abrams after Cloverfield, Star Trek and Super 8. He's got the touch.

[-Kwesnoth-]

It will be an as-yet-untitled Jedi epic loosely based on Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 classic Seven Samurai, with the ronin and katana being replaced by the Force-wielding knights and their iconic lightsabers." Of course, Lucas' original film was inspired by Seven Samurai as well.

Ummm...Star Wars was not based off Seven Samurai, it was based off another of Kurosawa's classics, The Hidden Fortress.

Although, if it were more like Seven Samurai, I would not be complaining.

[Sylar]

looks like it's official

Star Trek director JJ Abrams has been hired to direct the latest instalment of another space-opera franchise, Star Wars Episode VII, according to Deadline.com.The Lost creator's appointment ends months of speculation about who would take the job after the sale of George Lucas's multi-billion sci-fi franchise to Disney in October last year. The list of directors previously linked to the project includes Matthew Vaughn (Kick Ass), Brad Bird(Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol), Guillermo del Toro and even Argo director Ben Affleck.
Abrams, a life-long fan of Star Wars, had originally suggested he was not up for the job, but never totally ruled himself out. "I am looking forward more than anyone to the next iterations of Star Wars, but I believe I will be going as a paying moviegoer!", he told the Hollywood Life website last year. His appointment will see the 46-year-old in the singular position of helming two of the biggest sci-fi series of all time. His take on Star Trekgarnered critical and commercial success on its release in 2009. A sequel – Star Trek Into Darkness – will be released later this year.
Star Wars Episode VII is set to be in cinemas in 2015. Disney has said that it plans to release a new Star Wars film every two to three years after that. It has been suggested that the plot of the film, which could feature cameos from franchise stalwarts Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford, could centre on Luke Skywalker's attempts to found a Jedi academy on the planet Yavin 4. Episode VII is being scripted by Michael Arndt, the Oscar-winning writer of Little Miss Sunshine and Toy Story 3.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/...-vii-jj-abrams

[RedDragon7]

disney and lucasfilm have now confirmed what we already knew: j.j. Abramswill direct star wars: Episode vii. The press release was sent out this evening, announcing that abrams will not only helm the new sequel, but he'll also produce through bad robot with bryan burk. The announcement includes quotes from both producer and lucasfilm head kathleen kennedy and mr.george lucas himself, and here’s what lucas had to say about the decision: “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.” also of note, the press release adds that screenwriters lawrence kasdan(empire strikes back) and simon kinberg (sherlock holmes) will be consulting on the project. We previously learned that the two would have a hand in the scripts for further sequels/spinoffs.

[claud3]

not bad, i will watch

[Yuuichi]

At least it is not Micheal Bay and we can all be thankful for that.

[Blacksite]

I'm both happy and disappointed. Lol. On the one hand, I'm looking forward to a new Star Wars movie. On the other, I'll have to wait longer for a Cloverfield sequel, assuming Matt Reeves and Drew Goddard had already come up with a cool idea and were waiting for J.J. to free up his schedule (following Star Trek into Darkness).

[T0PGUN]

Just keep Lindelhof away please