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    J.J. Abrams to write and direct “Star Wars: Episode IX”

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1831 Views
    In this March 2, 2017 file photo, director-producer J.J. Abrams poses for a portrait to promote "The Play That Goes Wrong" at the Lyceum Theatre in New York. Abrams is returning to “Star Wars,” and will replace Colin Trevorrow as writer and director of “Episode IX.” Disney announced Abrams return on Tuesday, Sept. 12. (Photo by Christopher Smith/Invision/AP, File)

    By Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer

    LOS ANGELES (AP) --

    J.J. Abrams is returning to "Star Wars," and will replace Colin Trevorrow as writer and director of "Episode IX."

    Disney announced Abrams return on Tuesday a week after news broke of Trevorrow's departure. After several high-profile exits by previous "Star Wars" directors, Lucasfilm is turning to the filmmaker who helped resurrect the franchise in the first place. Abrams will co-write the film with screenwriter Chris Terrio, who won an Oscar for adapting "Argo," and also co-wrote "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice."

    As the director of "The Force Awakens," Abrams rebooted "Star Wars" to largely glowing reviews from fans and more than $2 billion in box office. Abrams had said that would be his only film for the franchise, but he's now been pulled back in.

    Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy said that Abrams "delivered everything we could have possibly hoped for" on "The Force Awakens" and added "I am so excited that he is coming back to close out this trilogy."

    This move also means Abrams will be the only director aside from "Star Wars" creator George Lucas to direct more than one "Star Wars" film.

    "Star Wars: Episode IX" is expected to hit theaters in May of 2019. It is the final installment in the new "main" Star Wars trilogy that began with Abrams' "The Force Awakens" in 2015 and will continue this December with director Rian Johnson's "The Last Jedi."

    Production on "Episode IX" was supposed to begin early next year. It's unclear at this point whether or not the shift will impact that or the release date.

    Lucasfilm has had a number of public fallouts with "Star Wars" directors over the past few years.

    Earlier this year the young Han Solo spinoff film parted ways with director Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and swiftly replaced them with Ron Howard deep into production. In 2015, the company fired director Josh Trank from work on another Star Wars spinoff. And extensive reshoots on "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" led to widespread speculation that director Gareth Edwards had been unofficially sidelined by Tony Gilroy.

    News of Abrams' return was greeted warmly by fans on social media Tuesday. He hasn't directed or committing to directing another project since "The Force Awakens," and instead had been focused on producing.

    "I'm very much enjoying taking a moment. Since I've done the show 'Felicity,' I've gone from project to project. So it's been 20 years since I haven't been prepping, casting, shooting, editing something," Abrams told The Associated Press in March.

    That moment, however brief, is over. For Abrams, it's time to go back to the Millennium Falcon and that galaxy far, far away.

    Tags:DisneyJ.J. AbramsStar Wars: Episode IX



    DirecTV calls off acquisition of rival Dish, possibly ending a yearslong pursuit

    Friday, November 22, 2024
    Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Feb. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

    DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.

    The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively.

    The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September.

    DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt. The deal was contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off debt related to Dish.

    "While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV's balance sheet and our operational flexibility," DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement.

    The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, and reported talks resurfaced over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked the deal valued at the time at $18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.

    The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming platforms, demand for more traditional satellite entertainment continues to shrink.

    DirecTV says that it will continue to invest in next-generation streaming platforms and offer new packaging options while integrating content from live TV alongside direct-to-consumer... Read More

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