TV & Film News

The Force is strong with J.J. Abrams: nerd hero to direct new Star Wars film

By Liam Carroll January 28, 2013

Following months and months of speculation that saw such names as Ben Affleck, Jon Favreau, Guillermo del Toro, and Colin Trevorrow being bandied about like so many power converters at Toschi Station, we finally have word of who will be directing Star Wars Episode VII: nerd hero J.J. Abrams. It's a turn of events that surely won't cause any further rifts between Star Wars fans and Star Trek fans.

Despite Abrams denying involvement back in November, while pledging allegiance to his other flagship series--the second installment of which is this summer's biggest flagpole release -- the Grand Moffs at Disney issued a press release this weekend (read it in full over at Nerdist) confirming that Abrams was indeed the droid they were looking for, and will be at the helm for Episode VII, working from a script by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Michael Arndt.

No word on what it was that convinced Abrams to come on board; perhaps Disney finally caved and agreed to the trumped up blue lens flare clause in his contract.

TAGS: action-adventure, directors, film, geeks, nerds, sci-fi,

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