J.J. Abrams To Direct 'Star Wars: Episode VII'

TV and Movie Hack To Ruin 'Star Wars: Episode VII'
"Hey, I ruined Star Trek by making it stupid and ripping off Star Wars wholesale, and it made a fortune! So I figured this was the only logical choice in my career. More lens flares AND a Budweiser brewery for Star Wars? You better believe it. Thanks, suckers!" Abrams was quoted as saying.

Good choice, I'm looking forward to seeing this new film, congrats to you Mr. Abrams!

Making Star Trek stupid? It's almost as if you never saw the first nine movies...

Oh well...
He's a Hollywood "it" boy that probably makes Disney feel safe. Nothing bold about this choice...just sad really.

I was hoping a fresh voice would have been approached for this. I know his "Trek" flick is popular, but I personally feel like it doesn't hold up too well over time...I've tried watching it again, but other than the very cool opening scenes with George Kirk, it just turns into a mish-mash of pale SW riffs, lens flares and "wouldn't it e cool if..." moments...some that may look great and some that are utterly ridiculous, but don't feel like "Star Trek".

To use an overused line from the original SW saga...."I have a bad feeling about this..."

....but I'm sure it'll be a hit and most moving-going folks will love it. Oh well....I'll always have the original six to watch and collect from....

I actually liked the Star Trek reboot, so this is good news.

But wouldn't lens flares in a Star Wars movie be called "Force flares"?

I'm going to laugh if Disney debunks this. Not saying it isn't true, just saying an awful lot of sites are taking an anonymous "inside source" as gospel truth here. Didn't an inside source say a week ago that Brett Ratner was making a "Seven Samurai in Star Wars"?

Yeah, there's still been no official confirmation yet. It's looking like it'll be Abrams, but I'll withhold much judgment until we get the official word.

Originally Posted by El Chuxter

I'm going to laugh if Disney debunks this. Not saying it isn't true, just saying an awful lot of sites are taking an anonymous "inside source" as gospel truth here. Didn't an inside source say a week ago that Brett Ratner was making a "Seven Samurai in Star Wars"?

It was Zack Snyder, but eh, what's the difference?

Originally Posted by jedibear

Oh well...
He's a Hollywood "it" boy that probably makes Disney feel safe. Nothing bold about this choice...just sad really.

I was hoping a fresh voice would have been approached for this. I know his "Trek" flick is popular, but I personally feel like it doesn't hold up too well over time...I've tried watching it again, but other than the very cool opening scenes with George Kirk, it just turns into a mish-mash of pale SW riffs, lens flares and "wouldn't it e cool if..." moments...some that may look great and some that are utterly ridiculous, but don't feel like "Star Trek".

To use an overused line from the original SW saga...."I have a bad feeling about this..."

....but I'm sure it'll be a hit and most moving-going folks will love it. Oh well....I'll always have the original six to watch and collect from....

Pretty much right on the money. Don't get me wrong, "wouldn't it be cool if..." writing can make a great film, that's how Wrath of Khan was made, but the superior writing around those cherrypicked moments is what made it all work together.

We waited to post the story until some of the major news station jumped on it so we did as well... still waiting for something official.

Originally Posted by jedibear

....but I'm sure it'll be a hit and most moving-going folks will love it. Oh well....I'll always have the original six to watch and collect from....

The good news is it only has to be better than Attack of the Clones. So the bars set really low...

I wasn't talking about this site in particular. First site to use "confirmed" is the one that gets my giggles.

The official site has confirmed it, so I guess it's officially official. Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg have been announced as consultants, bringing some conclusion to that rumor as well. I haven't seen much of Abrams' work aside from Super 8, but I really liked that, and he sounds like enough of a fan to do right by it, so hopefully this is good news.

I am not angered by this choice. Super 8 is one of my favorite recent films and I enjoyed the first few seasons of Lost and Alias. I suspect Disney's model for finding a director on SW was based on the way they found Joss Whedon for Avengers: get someone who has a proven background in developing a continuing story that resonates with a broad, dedicated fanbase and can produce often touching, memorable moments. I was not offended by Star Trek since I knew it would never be as nostalgic to me as the original series was or as cerebral as the Next Generation was or as awesome as the Deep Space Nine series was. It was a self contained story that was glued to the Joseph Campbell hero's journey model - something no iteration of Star Trek ever had before since everything about the characters in the films had already been established. That doesn't excuse redefining what Starfleet officers do to each other, twisting the expectations of a near half-century old universe, or rewriting logic, but I suspect the plan on such a large franchise did not originate and finish with a then unproven director. If any of you want to see some serious JJA craziness, read his pitch for a Superman film from about ten years ago. That was decidedly more irreverent than Star Trek. For those that don't know of it, here's a taste: Krypton never explodes, Jor-El is a Kryptonian martial artist, and the big reveal at the end is that Luthor is a Kryptonian (and therefore a martial artist). I did like the opening battle in the streets of Gotham City, though, and the story has an Elseworlds/alternate universe aesthetic to it that would have worked as a comic, but not as the beginning of a film series on such a recognizable character. I think some of the ideas in the script made their way into the Smallville show, but I could never really bring myself to watch much of it after the first couple of years.

JediTricks worst fear for Star Wars has been realized. J.J. Abrams is going to direct a movie. JT, you still think the Disney purchase of the Star Wars franchise couldn't end as bad as their Power Rangers franchise purchase?

Originally Posted by Lord Malakite

JediTricks worst fear for Star Wars has been realized. J.J. Abrams is going to direct a movie. JT, you still think the Disney purchase of the Star Wars franchise couldn't end as bad as their Power Rangers franchise purchase?

Ugh, I'm hoping you're wrong, this is a big money move at least so they're not planning on burying it... not intentionally anyway.

Originally Posted by JediTricks

Ugh, I'm hoping you're wrong, this is a big money move at least so they're not planning on burying it... not intentionally anyway.

At least not until they bury it unintentionally first. They'll accidentally "Frankenstein" the franchise into a horribly disfigured shell of what it once was (beyond even the damage of the prequel trilogy). Then they'll quietly try to hide the end result by burying it intentionally in the hopes that what few fans are left won't take notice.

I doubt it for quite a while, at least a dozen years, SW has a much bigger impact on society than MMOPR, the prequels couldn't kill interest in Star Wars as a pop culture touchstone (and really what I mean is merchandising sales), that's where continuing on stuff matters.

Originally Posted by JediTricks

I doubt it for quite a while, at least a dozen years

Well no one said it would be a quick death. It takes time to completely alienate your audience.

Originally Posted by Lord Malakite

Well no one said it would be a quick death. It takes time to completely alienate your audience.

How long with MMPR?

Originally Posted by JediTricks

How long with MMPR?

With Power Rangers, they produced the show for 9 seasons (8 regular seasons and that reversion season). It took about five to six years after they purchased it before they actively went about trying to bury the show.