Star Wars Episode 7: Five Questions Raised About J.J. Abrams

With a director for Star Wars Episode 7 finally in place, one would think that some of the questions about the highly anticipated movie would start to be answered. However, the surprise announcement that J.J. Abrams would be helming the next sequel in the Star Wars franchise has perhaps raised more questions than it has answered. With all jokes about lens flare aside, here are the top five questions we're curious about in regards to J.J. Abrams taking on Star Wars. 5. Will he still direct another Star Trek? – While Paramount has let it be known that J.J. Abrams will still be a part of Star Trek 3 as a producer, it's unclear on if he will actually direct another Star Trek movie. It seems like a longshot that he would take on directing another Star Trek with Star Wars now on his plate, and his Star Trek Into Darkness cast and crew seem to think he won't be back as director. However, if the timing works out, it's always possible that he tries to at least finish out a trilogy with Star Trek. 4. Will Star Wars Episode 7 star a female lead? – According to a rumor from SlashFilm, director Matthew Vaughn pitched Chloë Moretz as a female lead for Star Wars Episode 7 when he was still in the running to direct. It's unclear if that was because the script called for a female lead or if it was just Vaughn's idea for the film. Assuming the script does call for a female lead, will J.J. Abrams stick with that direction, or will he have his own casting ideas? 3. When will he start? – With Disney CEO Bob Iger announcing that Disney expects to release Star Wars Episode 7 in the summer of 2015, J.J. Abrams better get busy fast. However, J.J. Abrams also has to promote what looks to be Paramount's biggest movie of the summer, so it's unclear of exactly when his Star Trek duties will leave him free to start on Star Wars. Will he start before or after the Star Trek premiere? 2. Will he helm a Star Wars TV series? – In addition to being a talented movie director, J.J. Abrams is also responsible for some of the greatest television series ever. With ABC interested in a Star Wars television series, could Disney be planning to turn J.J. Abrams into the next Joss Whedon and have his steer the direction for Star Wars both on the big screen and the little screen? Could J.J. Abrams TV talent have even been part of why Disney wanted him for the job? 1. Is it just episode 7 or the franchise? – While all that's officially been announced is that J.J. Abrams will direct Star Wars Episode 7, it's widely assumed that Disney didn't sign him to just a single picture deal. Unless Star Wars Episode 7 is a complete flop, it's probably a pretty good bet that J.J. Abrams will be director for Star Wars Episodes 8 and 9. However, it will be interesting to see if Disney follows the same path that they did with Joss Whedon and The Avengers. Will J.J. Abram play a role in guiding the entire Star Wars universe, even the spinoff movies?