Won't him doing both open some sort of rift in the geek universe? A nerd wormhole?

You know what I bet this is? A plan by Disney to somehow, someway, get Darth Vader into these new movies. Abrams has proven his ability to molest a beloved series' continuity and still be loved by fans and make buckets of money. They want him to pull a trick like that again.

That would be Evil. Evil.

This is great news. J.J. Abrams is a fantastic director.

This seems like the best thing that could happen to the SW. Abrams has already shown he can breath new life into dying SF franchises.

I don't expect any craziness with Darth Vader. Star Trek has a long history of using time travel as deus ex machina; SW does not. And, quite frankly, even if he did do something like that, it would still be better than Episodes I-III.

Let the wild speculation begin! Chloe Moretz and Asa Butterfield as Jaina and Jacen Solo, Uma Thurman as Mara Jade.

Travesty. Everything the man touches ends in magic rivers under moving islands, brimming with feel-goodery and lacking any semblance of an attempt to cover the plot holes.

Dub, it's Star Wars. Normally I'd agree with you, but he's perfect for this shit.

What if there were magic island rivers under the Death Star trench run??? HE WILL RUIN IT (though admittedly less than George Lucas ruined it).

I want the next Star Trek movie first :/

I apologize to the young people that you are unhappy with the studio's choice for a director. No doubt JJ Abrams will disappoint many fans of the Star Wars franchise.

I will not be among them. Regardless of what ill-advised direction Abrams takes the next three films, it's important to realize that he cannot fail to do better than Lucas would have done, or has done. I credit Lucas with having reached the wisdom to step down. Clarify and introspection have done much to restore his dignity.

And yes the next three films of the series will suck, as did the last three. But at the least it will establish that new directors may take creative license with the films.

It will take another three movies, but we will see good Stars Wars movies again. After Abrams fails (for being too conservative), and they bring in a third director, we will finally have another good Star Wars. There is a lot that can be done with the existing canon and the series is not dead.

My nomination for new director is Peckinpah. Sam Peckinpah.

My nomination? Bob Genghiskan.

What is "young" in Star Wars terms? Born after the Original 3 or the New 3?

I like the job he did for Star Trek 2009...

It's a flawed movie, but fun, and the sort of mix of old-style Trek adventure and camp humor TOS had with the big explosions and mainstream appeal that a Trek film NEEDED to prove the franchise was financially viable again.

And I'm excited for Star Trek Into Darkness.

And now Star Wars steals our director.

...

Begun, the Trek Wars have!

;)

Uh, Al, Sam Peckinpah died in the '80s.

Watch this movie, I shall

Can't wait for whoever the new main character is to land on an ice planet and just so happen to find the one cave with Darth Vader living in it...

It should have been Josh Whedon!

Joss Whedon would have been great.

The best star wars movie was episode III.

Nah, Episode V.

I can't imagine JJ Abrams doing worse than Lucas did with I-III.

But I'd still rather someone like Peter Jackson or Joss Whedon take the reigns.

Joss Whedon would make the best Star Wars possible, perhaps rivaling the original three. Only die-hard fans would like it and Disney would lose tons of money and the franchise would die. Whedon simply doesn't have the market penetration Abrams does.

Nope, the Original was the best.

Yeah, 'cause only die-hard fans liked the Avengers. I'm surprised that disaster didn't bankrupt Marvel and kill the whole superhero movie genre.