In typical Abrams style, he totally lied to us.
His words may not have carried the dramatic weight of "I am your father," but J.J. Abrams has broken his silence about "Star Wars." In a press release issued by Disney and Lucasfilm on Saturday, the television creator turned filmmaker, who successfully resurrected the "Star Trek" franchise, spoke about the dream-come-true "Episode VII" directing gig.
"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," said Abrams. "I may be even more grateful to George Lucas now than I was as a kid."
Speculation was rampant about who would take the directing reigns of the legendary series following Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm and the installment of producer Kathleen Kennedy as president/brand manager for "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones." (Kennedy co-founded Amblin Entertainment with Steven Spielberg in the 1980s). News broke of the Abrams hiring Thursday; Kennedy and creator George Lucas offered glowing support in the press release.
"I've consistently been impressed with J.J. as a filmmaker and storyteller," said Lucas in the statement.
Lucas had long maintained there would be no more "Star Wars" films following the conclusion of the prequel trilogy and followed up the surprise announcement about his company's sale by revealing that he'd be giving most of the $4 billion Disney paid for LucasFilm to charity. "Episode VII" will be set after the events in "Return of the Jedi." Since"Episode VII" was announced in October of last year, Abrams had insisted he wouldn't be involved, making the argument that he was too big of a fan (in so many words) to tackle it and preferred to remain in the audience.
Obviously that changed and Lucas himself couldn't be happier. "He's an ideal choice to direct the new 'Star Wars' film and the legacy couldn't be in better hands," the "Star Wars" mastermind said in the press release. (via MTV)
PLEASE SHARE & REPOST! I am reaching out to you today with a heavy heart to share the news that our dear friend and beloved artist, Brian Ewing, has been diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. Brian has been hospitalized since early March and is fighting for his life. He has brought so much joy and inspiration through his art, and now he needs our support.
Vannen | PO Box 3271 | Santa Monica, CA 90408
Copyright © 2023 Vannen, Inc.
