It's official. The man who opened up the Star Trek franchise to a new generation of fans by giving it more of a Star Wars feel has been tapped to work in a galaxy far, far away.
Following the collective sigh of relief when the rumors of a Zack Snyder Star Wars spin-off were debunked, I think a lot of us were waiting patiently for an official announcement before getting too excited about the thought of an Abrams-helmed Star Wars sequel.
I do think Abrams is capable of great stuff. Super 8 had a very Steven Spielberg-ish feel to it (plus a nice nod to George Romero). Mission Impossible III had great action set pieces AND an interesting story. The Lost pilot was great television (don't get me started on the rest of the series—it was all downhill from there). Call me crazy, but I even really enjoyed Regarding Henry.
The nice thing about Abrams, in my opinion, is that he's a well rounded filmmaker. He's paid his dues as a writer, a director, and producer, and has excelled in each arena.
It would be a bit premature to declare him the best Star Wars director since Irvin Kershner, but I won't be surprised to hear such talk bandied about in the weeks and months ahead. Of course if the prequels taught fans anything, it was that it's important to have reasonable expectations.
So go forth, JJ, and make us a great Star Wars film. But I do have one request: I implore you, please do not bring Damon Lindelof along for the ride. Thanks in advance!
