J.J. Abrams to direct next 'Star Wars' for Disney
Studio closing deal for 'Star Trek' helmer to continue Jedi saga
By MARC GRASER
Abrams
J.J. Abrams will direct the seventh "Star Wars" saga for Disney and Lucasfilm.
The Mouse House is closing the deal with the prolific producer and director, who is currently finishing "Star Trek Into Darkness" for Paramount.
Disney purchased Lucasfilm in October for $4 billion and in announcing the deal said it would move forward with new "Star Wars" films every two to three years. It plans to release the next pic in 2015, with Michael Arndt ("Little Miss Sunshine") penning the script.
The six existing "Star Wars" films have earned a total of $4.4 billion worldwide.
Upon brokering the deal with Disney, George Lucas said "it's now time for me to pass `Star Wars' on to a new generation of filmmakers."