Friday 25 January 2013

Disney, Lucasfilm Officially Announce J.J. Abrams as Star Wars: Episode VII Director

Lucasfilm and Disney have officially announced that J.J. Abrams will direct Star Wars: Episode VII a day after the news first broke.

“It’s very exciting to have J.J. aboard leading the charge as we set off to make a new Star Wars movie,” said Star Wars producer and Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy in a statement. “J.J. is the perfect director to helm this. Beyond having such great instincts as a filmmaker, he has an intuitive understanding of this franchise. He understands the essence of the Star Wars experience, and will bring that talent to create an unforgettable motion picture.”

“I’ve consistently been impressed with J.J. as a filmmaker and storyteller.  He’s an ideal choice to direct the new Star Wars film and the legacy couldn’t be in better hands,” said George Lucas.

"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 J.J. Abrams. “I may be even more grateful to George Lucas now than I was as a kid."

Furthermore, it was announced that Abrams will also produce Star Wars: Episode VII with his Bad Robot partner Bryan Burk along with Kennedy and Lucasfilm.

The official press release also confirmed earlier reports that Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg are serving as "consultants" on the project, which is being scripted by Oscar winner Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine, Toy Story 3).

Oscar-winning visual effects artist Dennis Muren, a Star Wars veteran, said of Abrams, “He puts everything he has into his work. He totally immerses himself. He’s got such a visual eye, which is so important to the Star Wars films. It seems that a lot of the same things that were in George when he made the first Star Wars films are also in J.J. I think he’s going to fit into the other movies perfectly, with the energy that J.J. has. We’re kick-starting Star Wars again with dynamite. It will knock people out, including the people who get to work on it. I think it’s a great choice.”

Another Star Wars veteran, sound effects maestro Ben Burtt, said, "J.J represents the next generation of filmmakers from those that were making Star Wars when I started. When he was a teen, he was a fan of Star Wars, and a great deal of his love for movies came out of his reaction of that first Star Wars film. You feel that he’s already invested so many years in it, and he’s going to propel it forward in a new way. In other words, you’re having a fan who has grown up and developed tremendous directorial skills finding himself at the steering wheel to take the franchise into the next stage. I feel like I’m there watching history turn over from one era to another.”

Star Wars: Episode VII is slated for release in 2015.


Source : ign[dot]com

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