J.J. Abrams Confirmed as 'Star Wars' Director

Director, producer and writer, J.J. Abrams

J.J. Abrams has been confirmed as the director of the next Star Wars film, taking over the franchise from its creator, George Lucas, Reuters reports.

The Walt Disney Company, which bought Lucasfilm Ltd. last October, announced the news on Friday night, after rumors of the move surfaced earlier in the week. Abrams will be working with a script by Michael Arndt, who won an Academy Award for his Little Miss Sunshine screenplay. Former Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy will be the producer.

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"I've consistently been impressed with J.J. as a filmmaker and storyteller," George Lucas said in a statement on the official website for Star Wars. "He's an ideal choice to direct the new Star Wars film and the legacy couldn't be in better hands."

Abrams, who had previously said that he would be focusing on his own original material instead of taking over the series, returned the compliment. "To be a part of the next chapter of the Star Wars saga, to collaborate with Kathy Kennedy and this remarkable group of people, is an absolute honor," he said. "I may be even more grateful to George Lucas now than I was as a kid."

Star Wars: Episode VII is set for release in 2015, with two further installments also in the works. 

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J.J. Abrams and Eric Kripke on Led Zeppelin and 'Revolution'

J.J. Abrams and Eric Kripke on Led Zeppelin and 'Revolution''Zeppelin's got such an epic quality to it that I think matches the tone of the show' $(document).ready(function() { $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .email-content').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').hide(); } ); $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .print-page').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').hide(); } ); });

In anticipation of this week's episode of NBC's Revolution, the show's producers, J.J. Abrams and Eric Kripke, sat down to talk about using the music of Led Zeppelin in their post-apocalyptic drama.

"You have no idea what a big Zeppelin fan I am," Kripke, the show's creator, says.

"When Eric pitched the show, he was like, 'I just want to do a show that has Led Zeppelin music in it.' That was basically his pitch," Abrams adds. "That was it, and we're like, we're in."

The November 19th episode will feature two Led Zeppelin tracks, "Kashmir" and "Since I've Been Loving You." The episode's showcasing of Led Zeppelin's music is set to coincide with the release date of the live album/DVD Celebration Day, which documents the band's 2007 reunion show at London's 02 Arena.

"Zeppelin's got such an epic quality to it that I think matches the tone of the show," Kripke says. "Kashmir is actually the one that really kicks ass in the episode. Because it's part of this very intense moment with Miles when he goes face to face with Monroe. Huge epic music, huge epic scene."

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