Though J.J. Abrams is hard at work on STAR WARS: EPISODE VII, it looks like he won’t be back for Episode VIII.
Rian Johnson, the director behind BRICK and the popular sci-fi thriller LOOPER, will be both writing and directing STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII, according to a new report from Variety.
The plot lines for the sequel series, as well as two standalone spin-offs directed by Gareth Edwards (GODZILLA) and Josh Trank (CHRONICLE), are still tightly under wraps.
The reasons why J.J. Abrams will not be back for Episode VIII have not been unveiled as of yet, but it may simply be a timing issue given how quickly Disney seems to be starting up new STAR WARS productions.