JJ Abrams to direct new Star Wars Episode VII

Disney boots up the Star Wars franchise with a new trilogy, headed by J.J. Abrams

With Disney's acquisition of LucasFilms (and thus, the entire Star Wars franchise), there was an announcement that there would indeed be another movie added on to the current six. Episode VII, which has yet to be given an official name, is still shrouded in much mystery, though one integral piece of news was confirmed: J.J. Abrams will be directing Star Wars: Episode VII.

Abrams was noticeably excited by the opportunity (and really, who wouldn't be?). He is quoted on the Star Wars site as saying of the appointment to director, "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. I may be even more grateful to George Lucas now than I was as a kid."

What does this mean for George Lucas, the godfather of Star Wars? Well, he's been notched down to a more advisory position, reminiscent of his time on other much-loved episodes of the series. Nothing has been said about who made the decision, but at least it's good to see Lucas is still molding his brainchild.

What will the new Star Wars: Episode VII be like?

It's hard to tell at this point, since so many details are still in the works. However, much of the previous casts have expressed interest in returning to the movies, ranging from Hamill, Ford, and Fisher, all the way to Ewan McGregor and Samuel L. Jackson. It's doubtful that most of them will make it on, but we can surely expect a cameo or two (at the very least).

The story has been confirmed to be in the (relative) near future, after Return of the Jedi. It will not be based on the books, meaning it is an original story; however, the time period that it will be set in is likely to heavily overlap with the Thrawn series.


Want to read more about the movie? Check out Wikipedia's entry on Episode VII.