Star Wars: Episode IX - 9 Reasons JJ Abrams Is The Right Choice To Direct
He knocked it out of the park last time, so what's to hate?
After a surprisingly short wait from the firing of Colin Trevorrow to the hiring of a new director, Lucasfilm have revealed that J.J. Abrams - of Lost, Super 8, Star Trek and Star Wars: The Force Awakens fame - will be at the helm for Star Wars: Episode IX.
And while it's great to hear that the production is back on track, the announcement itself was met with a decidedly mixed reception.
On the one hand, there are people who loved The Force Awakens and think that Abrams is the right choice to finish what he started, but on the other, there are people who dislike how much his Star Wars movie 'borrows' elements from A New Hope. Will Episode IX just be another rehash?
Well, for obvious reasons, it's hard to say anything about the nature of Episode IX. We don't know anything about the story, we don't know where it will pick up, and we don't know which characters will be involved - we haven't even seen Episode VIII!
But what we do know is that J.J. Abrams will direct - and that's good news. It's hard to think of a better choice to bring the trilogy to its close, and here's why.
9. After Recent Director Troubles, Star Wars Needs A Steady Hand
It's no secret that Star Wars has had a rocky relationship with directors as of late.
Rogue One was the first movie of this modern era to suffer big-time in the director department, with The Bourne Legacy's Tony Gilroy being brought in to oversee a significant amount of reshoots and fix-up Gareth Edwards' film.
And then, back in June, it was revealed that directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller had been fired from the upcoming Han Solo spinoff due to Lucasfilm finding them difficult to work with, and even more recently, Colin Trevorrow was removed from Episode IX, leading to the hiring of Abrams.
There's definitely a pattern here, and whether the problem is with the directors or with Lucasfilm themselves, one thing is clear: the creative process over at the studio needs smoothing out.
This is presumably why Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy brought in Ron Howard to oversee the Han Solo spinoff. He's an experienced, reliable filmmaker who won't give them any trouble and will be able to bring the movie home with little fuss.
The same can be said about Abrams. Kennedy knows that he's reliable after working with him on The Force Awakens, and the last thing Episode IX - which may be the biggest Star Wars movie in history - needs is behind-the-scenes trouble.
Abrams has directed blockbuster after blockbuster with no issues to speak of, and this is the type of stability that Star Wars needs right now.