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Star Wars: Episode VII to be directed by J.J. Abrams **NON SPOILER THREAD**

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Awesome. The 2009 Star Trek had more Star Wars in it than any of the SW prequels. This could be good after all.

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Eh.  I love Fringe to death and like the '09 Star Trek, but Abrams has too much of his own visual style (lens flare anyone?) to match with Star Wars.  If this were a reboot like Star Trek more or less was, I'd be happy, but these films are supposed to fit with the past ones, both in terms of content AND visuals.

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This is a boring choice for me. ST 09 was good, but I don't see Abrams directing SW VII that much differently.

It just feels odd that the two biggest sci-fi franchises will have been revived under the same director. As a filmgoer, I want to see different directors doing different movies, not one guy doing them.

JJ has a monopoly on directing sci-fi!

“Grow up. These are my Disney's movies, not yours.”

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 (Edited)

George pretty much summed up my feelings on it. His Star Trek is also way more Wars than Trek anyway. Super 8 was more Trek (and easily my favorite of his recent work). If it means no more JJverse Trek, I can sort of support it as I'd rather him do Wars than Trek anyway, but both saga's having his stamp on them really homogenizes Science Fiction.


Made for IE Forum's Episode III theme month - May 2005.

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rpvee said:

, but these films are supposed to fit with the past ones, both in terms of content AND visuals.

Yeah but that ship sailed long ago, I like this choice of Abrams.

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Safest choice likely from multiple perspectives.

But not likely innovative or daring.

Now it all depends on how the script turns out.

VADER!? WHERE THE HELL IS MY MOCHA LATTE? -Palpy on a very bad day.
“George didn’t think there was any future in dead Han toys.”-Harrison Ford
YT channel:
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JJ Abrams made the best Star Wars movie since Empire Strikes Back in 2009.

So I'm more than okay with this.

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captainsolo said:

Safest choice likely from multiple perspectives.

But not likely innovative or daring.

Now it all depends on how the script turns out.

Exactly. A safe, marketable decision.

But an interesting or exciting one? Not to me. And I don't mean to say I think the film will be bad. I just don't think that, as a director, JJ will bring anything "innovative or daring" to the table. It doesn't have me interested to see what the movie will be. I'm thinking, "Oh, him? Okay, I think I know what the movie will be like." And I ain't talkin' 'bout lens flares.

Basically, this kind of fuels my cynicism from the initial Disney announcement. JJ feels like a choice made for marketing and name-dropping purposes. Then again, if he hadn't done ST 09 maybe I'd think differently.

Either way, the movie will make a lot of money. That's all that really matters.

“Grow up. These are my Disney's movies, not yours.”

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Didn't Abrams publicly state he wasn't interested, (and committed to the Trek movie franchise) just a couple weeks ago?

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Where were you in '77?

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I'm curious to hear a sort of retrospective on his relationship with Star Wars since he has noted before that his interest in Star Trek wasn't up to par with many a fans, until we find out more I'm crossing my fingers that he's on our side in terms of understanding what we love about the franchise in a way similar to how Michael Arndt spoke recently about recognizing the better qualities we hold near and dear.
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Star Trek from 09 was great, and the sequel looks really nice too.  Between Michael Arndt writing and JJ Abrams directing, this has the potential to be what ANH and ESB were.  Note I said potential, because I still think there is a possibility of slip-up but not nearly to the degree of the PT.

As long as there are no stupid flares, I'm chill.

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Happy beyond belief. I really don't think I've ever been this excited for a film, ever.

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His Star Trek was as boring/interesting as Nemesis and had key scenes of people leaping from one platform to another Mario style (just like the PT).

It may end up being a good film but this news doesn't automatically fill me with optimism.

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I am in agreement with georgec and company.

No matter what I'd be nervous...that it feel Star Wars-like and that it also feel original.

Maybe fearing it will now be middling in both respects is unfair to Mr. Abrams. But the guessed reasons for his choosing is suggestive...

Yet as y'all point out, much depends on the script.

What does Mr. Abrams bring to the table as an auteur?

The blue elephant in the room.

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SilverWook said:

Didn't Abrams publicly state he wasn't interested, (and committed to the Trek movie franchise) just a couple weeks ago?

Yeah right around the end of December:

 “I quickly said that because of my loyalty to Star Trek, and also just being a fan, I wouldn’t even want to be involved in the next version of those things,” Abrams told Empire. “I declined any involvement very early on. I’d rather be in the audience not knowing what was coming, rather than being involved in the minutiae of making them.”

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Mrebo said:

Yet as y'all point out, much depends on the script.

What does Mr. Abrams bring to the table as an auteur?

If Lindelof is summoned for last minute re-writes I'm out of here.

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And since nothing has been officially confirmed by Lucasfilm/Disney, this should still be regarded a rumour.

That being said, I'd be extremely happy with this choice. I enjoyed his "Star Trek" immensely (the best SciFi movie I've seen in the last few years) and more than that I really loved "Super 8". Funnily enough with S8 being set in the 70s, the costume/hair/makeup did have that classic trilogy look to them... maybe he can sneak some of that look into Ep7 :D

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Han: I'm calling because I'm planning on asking Leia to marry me and... I was hoping to get your approval.
Bail: Han, let me ask you a question.
Han: Sure.
Bail: How well do you know my daughter?
Han: Um, we've been dating for two years...
Bail: Because if you feel the need to ask me about this scenario, I have a sense you don't know Leia at all.
Han: Sir, I love your daughter and I want to marry her. That's why I'm calling.
Bail: First of all, Han, the truth is this is just a courtesy call. Like when you say to your neighbor, "We're having a loud party on Saturday night if that's all right with you." What you really mean is, "We're having a loud party on Saturday night."
Han: Mr. Organa...
Bail: Leia doesn't give a damn what my opinion is. What interests me is that you do.
Han: It's just a custom to call the father, that's all this is...
Bail: Well, then, I'll tell you what. I may become your father-in-law, that's just fine. But I will not be used as part of a charming little anecdote you tell your friends at cocktail parties so they can see what a quaint, old-fashioned guy Han really is. Are we clear?
Han: Yes, sir...
Bail: Good. Then welcome to the family.

Project Threepio (Star Wars OOT subtitles)

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Honestly... I'm "okay" with the choice...

I'd love to see him co-direct with Joss Whedon, tbh.

Preferred Saga:
1/2: Hal9000
3: L8wrtr
4/5: Adywan
6-9: Hal9000

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I never like Abrams star trek reboot. It was too fast paced and virtually no story to tell and mostly all revolved visual FX. It played off like a second take on Star trek Nemisis.

I have a sneaky suspicion that George Lucas is at the root of this decision.

Venerable member of the “Red Eye” Knights

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 (Edited)

It's a smart move in some ways from Disney.

Whoever they picked, we'd be talking about him/her (yeah like a female director ever stood a chance at this gig).

By picking Col Jesus Jones Abrams every interweb is twitchering.

People are already speculating if Pegg will get the whole set and and a Star Wars role to his Trek and Who collection.

At the end of the day it's the final movie that counts.

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Yeah, a smart move statistically. My problem with Abrams ( aside from his startrek history ) is that he already stated publically that he wanted nothing to do with the starwars franchise because he was already committed to the startrek franchise. Telling us one thing and doing another makes him a liar and a puppet of a sense. I don't expect these new starwars  films to be what people have been expecting them to be ( including myself ) if lucasfilm going to choose/ con people like this.

Venerable member of the “Red Eye” Knights

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As soon as I heard the news about Disney and Star Wars VII, I immediately thought "now if they could just get JJ Abrams to do it, that would be totally awesome!" 

Also, I remember thinking and telling people after watching the Star Trek reboot that I have not been as excited about a movie after seeing it since Star Wars (the original trilogy).

I am totally stoked about this news.  Hope it turns out to be true.  JJ will do us proud.  Put a great story with a great and exciting director and we should have a winner.