Filmmaker J.J. Abrams has reportedly been asked to direct the upcoming Star Wars film, in the first installment since Disney purchased the megahit franchise from Lucasfilm late last year.
The news first broke in The Wrap, a entertainment industry blog, although Disney has not yet confirmed the reports.
Abrams is a highly successful film director, with Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek and Super 8 among his credits, and he has also created the television programs Lost and Alias.
Walt Disney Co. agreed to buy filmmaker George Lucas’s Lucasfilm and its Star Wars franchise for US $4.05 billion in cash and stock in October. Disney plans to release at least three more films sci-fi saga that ranks among the biggest movie franchises of all time.
The last Star Wars picture was Revenge of the Sith in 2005. The next Star Wars movie installment will be Episode 7 in the series.