J.J. Abrams Will Direct New ‘Star Wars’ Movie

As if Disney purchasing Lucasfilm wasn't big enough news, now one of the most acclaimed directors of our time has agreed to direct the seventh episode of the iconic "Star Wars" franchise: none other than Star Trek director J.J. Abrams!

The Wrap is reporting that J.J. Abrams will direct ‘Star Wars: Episode 7′ after a long courtship from producer and new Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy. It should be noted that Kennedy was a longtime producer for Steven Spielberg, a good friend and mentor for Abrams. (Interestingly, the report claims that Ben Affleck was the runner-up for the job.) Deadline now confirms the report saying that it’s a “done deal.”

[via ScreenCrush]

I could not be more excited about this news.  I've loved Abrams' work for years, from Lost, to Cloverfield, to Super 8, to Star Trek.

On the downside, ScreenCrush reports that Abrams' crossing-over from Paramount to Disney probably means he won't be back to direct a third "Star Trek" movie; and that's kinda sad, but not catastrophic.  Frankly, I welcome any and all efforts to make the new "Star Wars" movies as amazing as possible!

How do you feel about Abrams' directing?  Leave a comment below!