After Colin Trevorrow and Lucasfilm parted way on STAR WARS EPISODE IX, we all began drawing up wish lists that included the likes of Steven Spielberg, Ava DuVernay and David Fincher as names who could take over the film. But news hints that Disney and Lucasfilm looked in-house for their new director, and word is now official that FORCE AWAKENS director J.J. Abrams will return to write and direct the final chapter in this new trilogy.
Deadline got the initial scoop that the studio was presenting a deal to get Abrams back for the ninth film in the saga, and THR got the news that Abrams has officially signed on to close out the trilogy. Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy had this to say:
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.
The most obvious choice before this was THE LAST JEDI director Rian Johnson, who could easily pick up where he leaves off on the upcoming flick. But only yesterday he came out and said he would not be taking on the project, sending us all back to the drawing board. But it seems like the studio wants easy production and reliable, collaborative production after axing Trevorrow, which came after losing Phil Lord and Christopher Miller on HAN SOLO, replacing him with Ron Howard.
Abrams did a wonderful job on FORCE AWAKENS, so I'm in favor of the choice 100 percent. When it comes to this trilogy, we can't expect each movie to have a vastly different feel, and with the final movie, they need someone who can wrap it all up on an emotional and epic note. Abrams has the tools to get that done, and we've already seen what he can do and we know the movie will be in safe hands.
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI hits December 15.