J.J. Abrams to Direct ‘Star Wars’

Good news, nerds. The Star Wars franchise that you thought George Lucas took out back and shot may have a second chance. Third chance? I don’t know. According to The Wrap, J. J. Abrams has been tapped to direct the next Star Wars film for Disney.

Lucasfilm Chief Kathleen Kennedy has been courting Abrams, one of the most successful directors and producers in Hollywood — and a man beloved by fanboys. He runs one of the industry’s top production companies, Bad Robot, and created or co-created television franchises like “Lost,” “Fringe” and “Alias.” He has also directed film spectacles “Mission: Impossible III,” “Star Trek” and “Super 8.”

The lure of the Jedi was too strong, and it will no doubt complicate his relationship with Paramount, where Bad Robot is a top supplier. Abrams has been feverishly working on “Star Trek Into Darkness,” his second Star Trek film since he rebooted the franchise in 2009. “Into Darkness,” still in post-production, opens May 18. The Wrap

Disney has this film slated for a 2015 release which means they’ll get to milk this movie at Comic-Con for the next 3 years. You might as well start standing in line right now.