J.J. Abrams Collaborating with Steven Spielberg on his Next Film
J.J. Abrams has made quite a name for himself in the movie business in recent years, especially within the fanboy/fangirl community. Abrams has turned down a few directing gigs over the years, and it's still up in the air on whether or not he will direct Star Trek 2. Now it looks like we kind of know what his next film will be.
Vulture is reporting that Abrams has chosen the next film project he will direct. It's an original story that he came up with, which will be both a tribute to and a collaboration with Steven Spielberg. Abrams is currently finishing up the script for the film, and it's described by an insider as s “a tip of the hat to [Spielberg’s] movies of the 70’s and early 80’s.”
He will be making the film for Paramount Pictures where his production company is based, and the plan is to start production in the Fall. There are obviously no plot details to share with you right now but the project "will deal with everyday people whose personal relationships are tested when they are thrown up against extraordinarily fantastic - and possibly other-worldly - events," much like classic Spielberg films such as Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and E.T.
Spielberg will either be a producer or consultant on the project, but one of the main reasons Abrams wants him involved is because he “wants to make sure Steven is properly paid homage to. This is really an interpretation of some of Spielberg’s earlier films, but done in a personal way.”
Much like the Abrams produced Cloverfield, the new film is keeping its title under wraps for maximal marketing impact and will also be made on a fairly low budget for a studio movie, so he doesn't plan on going crazy overboard with special effects. Now of course both DreamWorks and Paramount deny that the project is actually happening, so absorb this information however you want. I hope it's true! I'd love to see what Abrams actually has up his sleeve.
What are your thoughts on this possible Abrams film project?