J.J. Abrams to Direct Star Wars: Episode IX
He's no stranger to the franchise
Disney wastes no time. It’s been one week since it was announced that Colin Trevorrow would not be directing Star Wars: Episode IX, and there’s already a familiar replacement. J.J. Abrams will be taking over directing duties as well as co-writing the final movie in the saga. Abrams is no stranger to the Star Wars franchise, he directed 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He’s also got a few other science fiction titles under his belt including the Star Trek reboot and Super 8.
“With The Force Awakens, J.J. delivered everything we could have possibly hoped for, and I am so excited that he is coming back to close out this trilogy,” said Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy in a statement.
The release date for Star Wars: Episode IX has been pushed back from May 2019 to December 2019. The eighth film in the franchise, The Last Jedi is directed by Rian Johnson and hits theatres on December 15th. Han Solo: A Star Wars Story, directed by Ron Howard is due out May 25, 2018.
