J.J. Abrams hasn't directed a movie since 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, but he hasn't been completely silent, as it has just been revealed that he'll be producing a live-action Hot Wheels movie. However, that isn't the only movie Abrams has in the pipeline, and the filmmaker is incredibly prolific when it comes to his involvement in the movies he's producing.
Unfortunately, Abrams has talked about some of these movies for close to a decade, and more of his productions have been in development for years than the ones that have seen the light of day. But between video game movies, DC releases (including TV shows), and a highly anticipated monster movie sequel, these upcoming Abrams-produced projects will be typical blockbuster events.
Hot Wheels
With Abrams juggling so many different projects at once, Hot Wheels is the latest addition. It was recently announced that the filmmaker will be producing a movie adaptation of the toy franchise, which could be great for those wanting a Fast and Furious flick that returns to the franchise's street racing roots.
Many fans preferred the vibrant and colorful street racing movies to the high-octane action blockbusters that the series has become. Coincidentally, Justin Lin, who has directed five Fast and Furious movies, was originally attached to direct the Hot Wheels movie. Now that he has quit directing duties on Fast X, his schedule is wide open, so he could always return to the project.
U2 Netflix Series
Along with true crime documentaries, the most success Netflix sees is in music documentaries, whether they're following Taylor Swift recording an album or Kanye West through his prolific 20-year career. And amidst the sea of music documentaries on Netflix, an Abrams-produced U2 documentary will be added to the list. But if any living band deserves the Netflix treatment it's U2.
The band has released 14 albums, many of which are classics, won 22 Grammy Awards, and is extremely philanthropic. There must be so many stories to tell after 45 years of being a band. and while Abrams' talents might seem wasted on a simple band documentary, cinematic visionary Peter Jackson made one of the best music documentaries of all time, The Beatles: Get Back, which is compiled entirely from archive footage.
Zatanna
Zatanna is a part of the Justice League Dark Universe that Abrams is developing, but it seems like it's on a much larger scale than any of the shows in the universe. The project isn't a series but a movie, and it even has an award-winning screenwriter attached. The character is an antihero with magician-like powers, and even for DC, she has a much darker sensibility.
Unlike many of the other movies and shows in development, Zatanna actually seems like it's making some headway. Emerald Fennell, who wrote the brilliantly dark comedy Promising Young Woman, is writing the movie. And with that kind of mind attached to the script, it could make for one of the most original and entertaining DC movies in years.
Portal
The popular Portal, along with its big brother, Half-Life, is a beloved video game that follows Chell, who must escape a laboratory where a HAL-9000-like computer is doing tests on her. Though the adaptation has been in development for years, Abrams recently expressed that he's excited about the new script.
While some think both Half-Life and Portal should be made into movies, it's a daunting task, as there are so many potential setbacks and elements that would be hard to adapt. For starters, whether it's done through CGI, practical effects, or a mix of both, it'd be nigh-impossible to adapt the game's dystopian future that's so ambitious with its huge vistas. On top of that, the protagonist, Chell, doesn't talk at all, and it's hard to imagine the main character of a movie without a voice.
Constantine / Justice League Dark
Constantine is one of the many DC properties that Abrams is producing, only it isn't a continuation of the CW series or the in-demand sequel to the Keanu Reeves movie. Instead, it's a complete reboot of the character and will be a series exclusively on HBO Max. Not much is known about the series, but it is planned to be part of a much bigger universe, the Justice League Dark Universe, and it isn't clear if it's connected to the DC Extended Universe.
It sounds like the project(s) is influenced by what Netflix did with The Defenders, by giving each of the heroes their own series before teaming up together. And while any one of them sounds exciting, Constantine is the most intriguing given how it's already been adapted on a large scale twice.
Batman: Caped Crusader
While it's easy to shrug Batman: The Animated Series off as just another Sunday morning cartoon, it's actually one of the most beloved depictions of Batman ever. The music and animation were on another level compared to its peers, and the stories were shockingly mature for the show's target audience.
Batman: The Mask of Phantasm was even a big influence on Robert Pattinson for his portrayal of the Caped Crusader. That's why Batman: Caped Crusader, the Abrams-executive produced animated Batman series, has impossibly high expectations. The show will be written by Bruce Timm, who was heavily involved in The Animated Series, so it could, against all odds, meet those expectations.
Superman
While it sounds like the perfect next project for Abrams to direct after The Rise of Skywalker, the filmmaker is only producing the next Superman movie. There have been so many rumors and speculation about what Abrams' movie could be like, and whether it'll be an actual reboot or a soft reboot like Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Either way, fans are adamant that Henry Cavill should return as Clark Kent.
It was announced over a year ago that Abrams would produce a Superman movie for Warner Bros., but there weirdly hasn't been any update on the reboot recently. That has led many to believe that it's yet another Bad Robot production left in stasis.
Cloverfield 2
Though it has been 14 years since the original Cloverfield, there have been movies released in the series since, they just haven't been direct sequels. 10 Cloverfield Lane is an isolated thriller movie, and The Cloverfield Paradox is a space travel film.
While the latter movie did attempt to delve into the mystery of the Cloverfield monster, very little has been explained or revealed in those two films, and that's why a proper follow-up to the 2008 movie is necessary. Abrams is finally producing Cloverfield 2, but just as is the case with most of the other movies where he acts as producer, they have been in development for years, and some have been for over a decade.