Another Star Wars Movie Plan Bites the Dust (Updated)

At this point it is just too hard to keep up with all the started and stopped Star Wars movie plans. The latest news is Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson have exited the Star Wars movie they were working on for Lucasfilm and director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Ms. Marvel). The submitted a draft and few days later quit the project. Technically the film is still moving forward with the director while new scriptwriters are found as its still penciled in for a December 19, 2025 release date but wouldn't be the least suprised if its cancelled. Lindelof may have forecast these events when he spoke at SXSW last week saying "“the degree of difficulty is extremely, extremely, extremely high” when it comes to creating a film for Star Wars. Lindelof went on to say that “If it can’t be great, it shouldn’t exist... I think it’s possible that sometimes when you hold something in such high reverence and esteem, you start to get in the kitchen and you just go, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t be cooking. Maybe I should just be eating.’ We’ll just leave it at that point.” At this point its become clear that Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy is doesn't know what she wants in a Star Wars film, only what she doesn't want (once presented with a script). I suspect her input can best be summed up as "but not that" and little else making any effort to improve on the script difficult. This may also explain the continued director problems the film side of the franchise has had. The result is she has settled into not making any decision on much of anything on the movie front, likely hoping something comes forward that is a clear home run. Could be a long wait. If summarize any Star Wars film or TV show, none of it sounds like should be a hit. The franchise is highly dependent on that alchemy of a good enough script combined with actors, director, crew and more that elevates it into something much more along with a fandom that is willing to accept a lot if the core concept and execution is done well. Update: Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders creator) has been tapped to pick up where Lindelof and Britt-Gibson left off. More realistically its probably a page one re-write. On the bright side he has about one year to get an approved script together. To hit the December 2025, the latest the film can start filming is end of summer 2024. Maybe he will achieve what half a dozen or so writers have failed to do.

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Cancelled, Lots of Movie Rumors Going Nowhere

The last Star Wars film was in 2015. The drought will continue until at least 2025 as what movies that were in some stage of planning have been cancelled. Variety is reporting that Star Wars: Rogue Squadron has been cancelled. The movie was announced back in 2020 and removed from the schedule in 2022. It would have been directed by Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman). No reason for why it was cancelled but guessing Jenkins demanded Lucasfilm quit waffling so she could either do a new movie with them or turn her attention to a new project elsewhere. The long rumor MCU producer Kevin Feige film is also off the table but that was mostly just rumor to begin with.

There are supposedly still movies in the pipeline. Taika Waititi (Thore Love and Thunder) is working a film where he intends to cast himself as a major character. Lucasfilm wants to work with Rian Johnson (Knives Out, The Last Jedi) again but he is booked for the next three years so earliest a film from him could hit theaters is at least five years from now. There is also rumors that treatments are being worked on from director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Saving Face, Ms Marvel) and Damon Lindelof (Watchmen).  Even if one of these rumors moves forward this year into something real (could happen on April 7 at Star Wars Celebration), it will still not hit screen until 2025 at the earliest.

Basically it is lot of rumors but nothing concrete. The rumors do not matter until a director, writer, and production date is officially announced. Even then, I wouldn't get excited until actual filming starts considering the many director problems they have had over the years. TV side of Star Wars is the future of the franchise for the foreseeable future thanks to the well run machine created by Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, the only real smart move that Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has made. If she was as hands on to the TV side as she is with the movie side, chances are we would still be hearing rumors about a second season of The Mandalorian and no other shows would have made it to production. 

Kennedy is so afraid of making the wrong movie move that she has settled into making no move, likely due to the debacle that was the last trilogy. Abrams decision to make post Return of the Jedi such a stagnant, negative 30 year gap just so he could retell A New Hope will be a problem that will haunt the franchise for decades. The best move is really to wipe the new trilogy from canon and work on new one that takes full advantage of the open universe that Return of the Jedi had left us and the Extended Universe had spent literal decades exploring before Abrams ill-fated decisions.

To sum all this up, from a fan perspective, as of right now there are no Star Wars films in the works.

Abrams' Partners With Half-Life, Portal Studio

JJ Abrams production slate continues to remain overflowing as he announced a partnership with Valve yesterday to create movies based on their video game properties. Valve is the video game studio behind the hit franchises Half-Life and Portal. “We’re going to figure out if we can make a Portal movie or Half-Life movie together,” [Valve head Gabe] Newell said. Considering Abrams will be busy with Star Wars for at least the next two years (really three since not a snow balls chance he can hit Disney's preferred Summer 2015 release date), safe to assume he will get Executive Producer credit while others will do the writing and directing.

JJ Abrams Directing Star Wars?!? (Updated)

After frequently denying rumors, it seems that JJ Abrams was not able to ignore the call from Disney to direct Star Wars: Episode VII. Multiple Hollywood websites are reporting that unnamed sources have confirmed that J.J. is either in negotiations or has signed the contract to direct the first film of the next set of Star Wars trilogies (with likely first dibs on doing all three if he chooses).

The script for the film is currently being written by Michael Arndt for a summer 2015 release date. If true that means that either Star Trek 3 will get pushed back until after Star Wars or more likely the directing reigns would be turned over to someone else with Abrams retaining executive producer credit. Assuming Abrams is able to get the kind of deal that Michael Bay got for Transformers (back end points, percentage of the movie and toy profits, etc.), he could make over $100 million from the first film alone, something that anyone would have a problem turning down regardless of their level of interest which is high with Abrams who said "Star Wars is one of my favorite movies of all time." Considering he wasn't even a fan of Star Trek when doing those two films, wonder what the result will be when it's something he loves. Disney nor Abrams have yet to confirm or deny these rumors.

Update: LucasFilm has officially confirmed JJ Abrams will direct Episode VII.

J.J. Abrams to Direct Star Wars: Episode VII
J.J. Abrams will direct Star Wars: Episode VII, the first of a new series of Star Wars films to come from Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy. Abrams will be directing and Academy Award-winning writer Michael Arndt will write the screenplay.

“It’s very exciting to have J.J. aboard leading the charge as we set off to make a new Star Wars movie,” said Kennedy. “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.”

George Lucas went on to say “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.”

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

J.J., his longtime producing partner Bryan Burk, and Bad Robot are on board to produce along with Kathleen Kennedy under the Disney | Lucasfilm banner.

Also consulting on the project are Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg. Kasdan has a long history with Lucasfilm, as screenwriter on The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Return of the Jedi. Kinberg was writer on Sherlock Holmes and Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

Abrams and his production company Bad Robot have a proven track record of blockbuster movies that feature complex action, heartfelt drama, iconic heroes and fantastic production values with such credits as Star Trek, Super 8, Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, and this year’s Star Trek Into Darkness. Abrams has worked with Lucasfilm’s preeminent postproduction facilities, Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, on all of the feature films he has directed, beginning with Mission: Impossible III. He also created or co-created such acclaimed television series as Felicity, Alias, Lost and Fringe.

Abrams Closes Deal on Lance Armstrong Story

Only in America can someone cheat at sports and get rewarded for it. Sure Lance Armstrong will have to endure some slight humiliation but that is nothing compared to the money he already has received over the years and will likely continue to get with able assist from JJ Abrams and Paramount Pictures closing a deal for the screen rights to "Cycle Of Lies: The Fall of Lance Armstrong" that is currently being written by Juliet Macur who is a sports reporter for The New York Times. Since the deal just closed there are no specifics on director, writer, or anything else related to the project. The main lesson from cheating in sports over the years is that not only do cheaters win but they can even get movies made after them for doing it.

JJ Abrams, Ron Howard Parner on Movie

Vulture is reporting that director Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon, The Da Vinci Code and more) and JJ Abrams will be teaming up soon for "All I've Got". Howard will direct, Abrams will executive produce through Bad Robot. The movie is based on a 2003 Israeli TV movie Kol Ma She'Yesh Li that is about a woman on her death bed given the choice of reliving her life with her first husband who had died in a car accident or remain dead waiting on her second husband of 50 years who she had three children with. The movie seems to follow a recent Hollywood theme of adapting Israeli television programing as was done with HBO's In Treatment and SHowtime's Homeland.

Abrams Talks Mission Impossible V, Fringe and More

While participating in the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour to promote Revolution (returns March 25), JJ Abrams spoke with Collider about his other projects including Mission: Impossible, Fringe and more. The full interview is here, highlights below.

Highlights:
- Has other TV projects in the works but unable to talk about them yet.
- Looking for a writer for Mission: Impossible 5, said "we're a minute away from being able to discuss that."
- Not seen the Fringe finale but "the script was unbelievable. I think its going to be incredibly emotional. ...If it's not satisfying, I don't know what satisfying is."
- Futuristic robot cop drama not yet started casting.

Abrams Taps Director for God Particle

JJ Abrams and his Bad Robot production company are moving forward on "God Particle" by hiring Julius Onah as the director of the film. Up to now Onah has mostly directed short films like Big Man among others. The story is step on an abandoned space station after Earth vanishes.

Abrams to Produce Earthquake

Deadline has announced that JJ Abrams has added yet another movie to his executive producing slate. The film is called Earthquake with Dustin Lance Black set as the writer the disaster flick being released through Universal. The film is not a remake of the 1974 film. Black won an Oscar for the writing for the film Milk and also wrote J. Edgar and 1st season of Big Love. Not entirely sure but think this puts Abrams at half dozen films and four television series for the next year that he is producing.

Abrams Signs up For Collider

JJ Abrams adds yet another movie to his producing plans with the movie Collider. The film will be written and directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) with Wright, Abrams and Nira Park sharing producing credits. The title and this team is currently all that is known about the movie. (via Collider.com)

Abrams to Produce Wunderkind

JJ Abrams seems to enjoy being an Executive Producer as he has signed on for a third film with Paramount. The film is called Wunderkind written by Patrick Aison. It is set in the 1970s as it follows a CIA and Mossad Nazi hunters who are forced to work together. In the last few weeks Abrams has signed on for God Particle and an untitled spec script. Abrams is currently working on completing the Star Trek sequel but this is unlikely to interfere with that.

Keep in mind that the Executive Producer is kind of like the CEO of a film. His job isn't the day to day decisions. Those are delegated to those with "Producer" credits that are not stars on the films. His main role is to interface with the studio, bring legitimacy to a product (think "from Steven Spielberg..." type lines you see in movie ads), approve the director (and sometimes the cast) while providing comments and ideas on the script with the occasional set visit when production starts. It’s a low time commitment but high paying role as often the executive producer gets a piece of the profits. Really if your goal is to make as much money as possible, this is what you eventually want to devote most of your time to (again see Steven Spielberg) as get credit for making films while not involved in all the time consuming minutiae that is involved in getting a film made.

Abrams Producing God Particle

Variety is reporting that JJ Abrams is set to produce God Particle written by Oren Uziel (The Kitchen Sink). The story is a stuck in space story when a crew must figure out how to survive after an experiment with the hadron accelerator causes the Earth to vanish. A European spacecraft is spotted but the crew doesn't know if they are friend or foe. Paramount wants to film the picture for around $5 million under their Insurge Pictures division they just created for "micro-budget" movies. Basically Paramount is hoping for the profit margins of Paranormal Activity. Abrams will not direct (to expensive). Frankly this sounds like one of those boring atmosphere movies that have killed horror for these last few years. The term is mine as it means the movie has so little meat on the bone that they spin their wheels for most of the movie trying to build suspense with fake-outs that by the time you get to the pay-off you are too bored to care. Hopefully Abrams will bring a higher quality to the story.

JJ Abrams to Produce Spec Script

The Star Trek sequel may be in post-production but that isn't stopping JJ Abrams from signing on to produce another movie. According to Variety the untitled project "described as a contained thriller with sci-fi elements, though story details remain under wraps." The script is from Josh Campbell (remake of The Killer) and Matt Stuecken (associate producer on GI Joe Retaliation). The movie will be made through Abram's Bad Robot production company for Paramount. Abrams will likely just have executive producer credit but if the itch strikes he could direct it as likely will wrap up most of his post-production work on Star Trek 12 by the end of the summer or early Fall. (via TrekMovie)

Writers Hired for Abrams' Micronauts

JJ Abrams has found his writers for Micronauts, the movie he is executive producing with Hasbro. The property is based on an 80s toy line about heroes in a microverse. The writers tapped for the project are Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese who wrote Zombieland and next year's G.I. Joe 2.

JJ Abrams Prepping Adventure Movie

Deadline is reporting that JJ Abrams has sold a mystery adventure project to Paramount. The untitled project is written by Bill Ray (A Captain's Duty, Pan). No details on release date, cast or anything else. All this means is Paramout is interested in the movie but probably months away before the greenlight that provides the funding to move to the pre-production phase.

Fringe Duo Partners with Abrams

It seems that JJ Abrams just cannot find too many shows and movies to produce as Deadline reports he might have found another project. Fringe co-producers Monica Breen and Alison Schapker have re-upped with Abrams' Bad Robot to develop another TV series and write a movie.

I've learned they've been hired to do a rewrite on one of J.J.'s top-secret projects at Paramount. With a working title of Zanbato, the script involves Japanese history and robotics: "swashbuckling robots with swords" is how one insider describes it to me. (That's the project which Francis Lawrence is no longer attached to direct.) The female writing team will continue to develop original material with J.J. and Bad Robot. Their "heightened reality" crime drama Pulp was written under their deal last year, and now it may turn into a graphic novel or potential comic book series for Warner's DC Comics.

JJ Abrams on Future Projects

In an interview with Collider, JJ Abrams spoke a little bit about the many projects he has in the pipeline. To talks briefly about the move of Fringe to Fridays (not exactly happy about it), the cancellation of Undercovers (audiences felt a bit lacking"), Alcatraz (shooting starts on Jan 19th), Super 8 (trailer in March), and directing Star Trek 2 (waiting on the script to decide). The full interview is here, below are snippets.

How do you feel about the move to Friday nights for Fringe?
ABRAMS: Oh, I’m horrified beyond belief, but as a fan of the genre and the show, I’m hoping that fans will tune in. I certainly can promise that it will be worth their while. The episodes that are coming up are spectacular. I guess you can just be hopeful and say that, if the work is good enough, it will find the audience. I think they’re doing better work now, even in the second half of Season 3, than they’ve ever done on the series. I’m just crossing my fingers that fans of the show, show up.

Do you have anything else in development for network television right now?
ABRAMS: We do. We have a few projects. We have a show for Fox called Alcatraz, that starts shooting on the 19th, which I could not be more excited about. And, we have a show for CBS called Person of Interest, that Jonah Nolan wrote. We have Odd Jobs for NBC. And we have a new script called Pulp, that was written by Alison Schapker and Monica Breen. That’s a spectacular script. We’re about to go out with that.

What is the status of Odd Jobs, with Terry O’Quinn and Michael Emerson? Where is that, in the process?
ABRAMS: A script is being written right now. The intent would be to make the pilot for this season.

Do you have a date by which you have to decide whether you’re going to direct Star Trek 2?
ABRAMS: That’s a good question. I probably do. I don’t know. There’s a script that should be coming in, hopefully by the time there’s a trailer for Super 8, and then we’ll know.

What’s the biggest proponent of that decision for you?ABRAMS: I guess the idea of not wanting to choose to direct a film, for which I’ve not read a script. It’s a tough decision to make without seeing any pages. That’s not to say that I don’t have all the faith in the world in the spectacular writers. Damon Lindelof, Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman are awesome. My hope is that they’ll write the script, it will be great and we can make a fun, exciting sequel to Star Trek.

Abrams Producing Polar Bear

JJ Abrams has signed on to produce Infinitely Polar Bear. Despite the title, the story is really about "a bipolar man who attempts to hold onto his stability in order to take care of his two daughters while their mother does her best to start a career." The movie will be written and directed by Maya Forbes (The Rocker) with Mark Ruffalo up for the lead.

The Dark Tower Trilogy, TV Series Planned

At one time JJ Abrams was a contender to take Stephen King's epic series and bring it to movies screens worldwide. Back in April, Abrams plans were dashed when Ron Howard and Brian Grazer took over the potential franchise. Since then nothing was heard. Finally it seems there is movement on the picture with an ambitious plan involving both the TV and movie divisions at Universal(which owns NBC).

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the overall goal is to take the seven books in the series, along with comics that fill out The Gunslingers life story and create a trilogy of films with a TV series that will act as bridges to each sequel. The first film will be directed by Ron Howard and written by Oscar winner Akiva Goldsman. The pair previously worked together on A Beautiful Mind, Angels & Demons, and The Da Vinci Code.

"I've been waiting for the right team to bring the characters and stories in these books to film and TV viewers around the world," King said. "Ron, Akiva, Brian along with Universal and NBC have a deep interest and passion for the 'The Dark Tower' series and I know that will translate into an intriguing series of films and TV shows that respect the origins and the characters in 'The Dark Tower' that fans have come to love."

Howard, Grazer and Goldsman plan first film in the trilogy to be immediately followed by a TV series that will bridge the second film. After the second film, the TV series will show the adventures of The Gunslinger as a young man as a bridge to the third film and beyond.

"The worlds of Stephen King's 'The Dark Tower' series are richly detailed, inter-locking and deeply connected," Goldsman said. "By telling this story across media platforms and over multiple hours--and with a view to telling it completely--we have our best chance of translating Roland's quest to reach 'The Dark Tower' onto screen. We are proceeding with tremendous excitement, fidelity to the source material and, quite frankly, no small amount of awe at this opportunity."

This seems like an incredibly ambitious plan for a series of books that is going to be very difficult to translate to film. It should be interesting to see if this plays out but I suspect that these initial plans will undergo multiple changes.

Abrams' Heist Get A Writer

The Hollywood Reporter says that Phil Alden Robinson has been hired to write the script for a movie that JJ Abrams will be producing. The movie will be based on a Wired article called "The Untold Story of the World's Biggest Diamond Heist". The right was bought by Paramount in March 2009 and is about a group of Italian thieves that in 2003 somehow conquered 10 layers of security to at the Antwerp Diamond Center to steal estimated $100 million theft of diamonds, gold, and jewelry.

The movie currently does not have a title or potential release date. Robinson's previous work includes having written and directed both Sneakers and Field of Dreams. His latest screenplay is Sinatra that is coming out sometime next year.