Will J.J. Abrams Also Direct STAR WARS: EPISODE IX?
It looks like Star Wars: The Force Awakens won't be the only film in the franchise that J.J. Abrams will direct. According to our friends at Latino-Review, there's a good chance that Abrams will be back to direct Star Wars: Episode IX.
It was recently announced that Rian Johnson (Looper) will write and direct Star Wars: Episode VIII. That film is set for release on May 26, 2017. Then there's Star Wars: Rogue One, which is being developed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters, Godzilla).
Although Abrams isn't involved with those productions, that doesn't mean he won't be back for more Star Wars action. According to the report, everyone at Disney who has seen footage from The Force Awakens are extremely happy with what Abrams has done. They go on to say,
"There are enough conversations about J.J. Abrams returning to direct Episode IX that we’ve been able to independently verify it four times that his name is the front-runner for the last trilogy installment and the movie isn’t due until 2019.
It's no secret that Abrams has a deep love for the Star Wars franchise just like the rest of us. But it has got to be a very different experience being behind the camera and developing these films. The filmmaker has talked about how crazy the process has been to bring The Force Awakens to life. So Disney wanting him to direct the movie doesn't necessarily mean that he'll do it.
As much as I love Abrams' films, I'll hold off on my excitement of him directing anymore Star Wars films until I see how The Force Awakens turns out. It's encouraging to know, though, that Disney and Lucasfilm like what he has delivered!