J.J. Abrams was recently hired to write and direct Star Wars: Episode IX, and though he doesn't read as the most inspired choice for the job, he's the one that is the best fit for the project. Last week, there was yet another disturbance in the Force as Colin Trevorrow (who had been attached to helm Star Wars 9 for two years) parted ways with Lucasfilm due to creative differences. This was the second massive directorial shakeup Lucasfilm endured in 2017, as Trevorrow's departure happened just a few short months after Phil Lord and Chris Miller's surprise firing from the Han Solo anthology film. The Episode IX situation wasn't nearly as dire as that debacle, but was still troubling since Lucasfilm hopes to start filming the movie in January 2018.

It stood reason to believe the studio had a possible replacement or two lined up when they moved on from Trevorrow (Ron Howard replaced Lord and Miller a couple days later), and it wasn't long until the rumors started coming in. Last Jedi helmsman Rian Johnson was a popular pick amongst the fans, especially with Episode VIII continuing to look great. Ultimately, Lucasfilm did go with a familiar face, only it was Abrams instead of Johnson. As stated above, the Force Awakens director is unquestionably a safe pick, but of all the candidates, he's the one Lucasfilm needed and is a strong choice.

Why Abrams Got Hired

It would be an understatement to say Lucasfilm has had some director issues in the early days of this new Star Wars era. Lord and Miller and Trevorrow are the most high-profile instances, but the studio also took Josh Trank off a planned Boba Fett spinoff movie in 2015 and brought in Tony Gilroy to aid Gareth Edwards on the extensive Rogue One reshoots last year. Since there are just four months to go until Episode IX starts shooting, it was a necessity for Kathleen Kennedy to find someone she can trust. She was not going to risk hiring another outsider and run the risk of more issues arising. The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi are the two modern Star Wars movies of the five or six in development to be completed without a hitch (save for Harrison Ford's broken leg), so Abrams - a veteran of blockbusters - worked well in the system. It's not surprising Lucasfilm went with a "safe" pick because, frankly, the franchise can't afford another dustup.

In addition to his ties to the Lucasfilm family, Abrams was likely the best choice who was readily available to take the job at a moment's notice. Several other directors who seem like they would fit well in the Star Wars machine are preoccupied with other projects currently. Jon Favreau is working on his Lion King remake. Brad Bird is getting The Incredibles 2 ready for its June 2018 premiere. Ava DuVernay is still handling post-production on next year's A Wrinkle In Time. Rian Johnson has just about locked his final cut of The Last Jedi, and would probably like a break before jumping headfirst into something else. As a byproduct of changing directors so late in the game, Lucasfilm's options were limited as they searched for a replacement. Abrams' last feature film was The Force Awakens, and he hadn't signed on for anything else in the time since. Abrams has had ample time to recharge his batteries and should be reenergized after what was surely a draining process making Star Wars 7.

Star Wars The Force Awakens JJ Abrams

Another key factor that contributed to Abrams' hiring is his continued involvement with the sequel trilogy. Though the original plan did not call for him to direct another installment, he is an executive producer on The Last Jedi and served as a member of the brain trust that guided Trevorrow through Episode IX's development. More so than anyone other than Johnson, Abrams knows where the story is heading and doesn't have to be brought up to speed as he gets to work on cracking the Star Wars 9 narrative. This is major because it sounds like the screenplay is being completely rewritten by Abrams and Argo scribe Chris Terrio, after Trevorrow and Jack Thorne took multiple stabs at the script. Abrams' inside knowledge should make the process of writing Episode IX in a condensed timeframe that much easier so the project can stay on track. To borrow a sports analogy, this is like when a football team promotes its offensive coordinator to head coach midseason to keep the established system in place. It's bad enough Star Wars 9 needed a total overhaul of its creative team. Stability really matters here.

Ultimately, this decision boils down to logistics. Due to mistakes made by the higher-ups, Lucasfilm was in a tight bind following Trevorrow's departure, and they essentially had no choice but to flip on the Abrams Signal and hope he answered the call. Out of all the realistic contenders, Abrams was the one who had the most open schedule and has demonstrated an ability to work well with Kathleen Kennedy and company. From a pure business perspective, Abrams was the sensical choice, but he's also a fit filmmaking wise.

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Why Abrams Is A Good Choice

When Abrams rebooted Star Trek in 2009, a common complaint amongst the hardcore Trekkies is that the Kelvin Timeline felt more like Star Wars in Star Trek clothing than "true" Star Trek. His sensibilities always seemed better suited for the galaxy far, far away than the Final Frontier - a sentiment proved correct when Force Awakens earned widespread praise and grossed $2 billion worldwide. Using his love of the original trilogy as his primary influence, Abrams was able to craft an endearing and thrilling space opera that combined the best elements of previous entries with an updated spin. While the story of Force Awakens was somewhat divisive (more on that in a second), many viewers were in agreement that the tone was one of the movie's strongest assets. After the prequels got bogged down in unconvincing romances and politics, the franchise returned to its roots as a whizz-bang adventure through space, populated by memorable characters that became instantly iconic.

With both Star Trek and Force Awakens (not to mention, the child actors of Super 8), Abrams has also illustrated a knack for casting. He was the one that plucked Daisy Ridley and John Boyega out of obscurity, enticed a world-class thespian like Oscar Isaac to the world of big-budget tentpoles, and pulled off the stroke of genius that was Adam Driver as Kylo Ren. Two films in, the core cast of the sequel trilogy should be set for Episode IX, but every Star Wars movie introduces fresh characters for fans to enjoy. If any newcomers are to debut in the grand finale, viewers can rest assured a master is at work behind-the-scenes, finding the best actor for each role. And by now, the returning cast members are very comfortable in their parts, meaning they should all gel just fine with Abrams again. He wasn't afraid to dish out some tough love when necessary (Abrams telling Ridley she was "wooden" on day one has gone in legend), so all parties should be able to do some amazing things together.

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Abrams undoubtedly can knock a crowd-pleasing tentpole out of the park, but even his biggest fans would be hard-pressed to call his works wholeheartedly original. For all the merits of The Force Awakens, many felt it leaned a little too heavily on what came before, acting as a soft New Hope reboot that borrowed some plot points from that groundbreaking classic (cute droid with top secret information, planet killing weapon, etc.). In a way, this was necessary at the time. Lucasfilm was a $4 billion acquisition for Disney and Episode VII was the first in (hopefully) a long line of sequels and spinoffs to flesh the universe out. If it had been divisive (or worse, panned), it would be a nightmare for Lucasfilm. Getting not just the hardcore fans, but also casual viewers onboard, was a major goal of Episode VII, and by all accounts, it worked well. The movie accomplished what it set out to achieve - regardless of shaky execution on some aspects (Captain Phasma).

When the backlash became more vocal, Abrams confessed the parallels to A New Hope were intentional to remind mainstream audiences what Star Wars is. That level of self-awareness is crucial, since it lowers the odds of Episode IX becoming a Return of the Jedi redux (the jokes have already been made). Abrams knows this film has a different set of objectives than Force Awakens, and copying Return beat-for-beat simply won't fly - especially with The Last Jedi set to create new rules for the saga. It's encouraging Abrams is collaborating with Terrio on the screenplay, as the Oscar-winner should be able to design a layered story with lofty themes and ambitions. Terrio's involvement with the ultra-divisive DCEU (Batman V Superman) could be a red flag to some, but the more controversial elements of that franchise were the doing of Zack Snyder, so Abrams (who already has one successful Star Wars movie under his belt) will be able to translate Terrio's work with his vision - one that is a bit more accessible to general audiences than Snyder's.

Conclusion

As great as it would have been to see three different directors add to the Star Wars legacy on the sequel trilogy, it's for the best given the circumstances Abrams is returning to finish what he started. He's a steady and reliable presence with a quality filmography under his belt, and he understands what makes a Star Wars movie "work." Force Awakens was able to balance comedy and drama nicely, giving off a vibe similar to the original trilogy, only fueled by Abrams' highly energetic style of filmmaking. If Kennedy's hope is for the new Star Wars movies to delight audiences, why not get the man who already pulled that off once?

It's easy to crack wise about Abrams' reliance on nostalgia, but he actually showed an impressive amount of restraint on Episode VII. He understood from the outset the new generation of characters were what was most important to get the sequel trilogy rolling and dedicated the first act to setting up Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, Kylo Ren, and BB-8. Abrams resisted the temptation of sending Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia on one last ride to save the galaxy, saving Luke's reveal for the very last scene (already an iconic part of Star Wars lore) and making tough calls like forgoing a reunion between Skywalker and Solo. He's not afraid to do what's best for the story, which is a good sign for Episode IX's prospects. If this is indeed to be the last episode in the saga, Abrams is the right person for the job.

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