It seems almost unfair to give the man who’s already in charge of the second biggest sci-fi franchise in history – Star Trek – the job of bringing back the biggest, but it seems that’s what’s going to happen, as THR reports that JJ Abrams is close to signing a deal to direct Disney new installment in Star Wars saga.
There is no official word from Walt Disney Pictures or Lucasfilm at this time yet, but sources close to the project says it’s happening.
It’s a bit of a turnaround from last November, when Abrams claimed he was not interested in directing the film, saying “Look, Star Wars is one of my favorite movies of all time. I frankly feel that – I almost feel that, in a weird way, the opportunity for whomever it is to direct that movie, it comes with the burden of being that kind of iconic movie and series. I was never a big Star Trek fan growing up, so for me, working on Star Trek didn’t have any of that, you know, almost fatal sacrilege, and so, I am looking forward more then anyone to the next iterations of Star Wars, but I believe I will be going as a paying moviegoer!”
However, Kathleen Kennedy went after J.J. Abrams herself, heavily courting him over a period of time, and it seems her efforts have paid off. Star Wars: Episode VII will debut in May of 2015, with a screenplay by Michael Arndt.