May the wait be longer… With J.J. Abrams now officially on board to direct "Star Wars: Episode 7," and Disney confirming the news late last week, fans are now patiently waiting for 2015, the date that was first tossed out for the potential release. But it looks like that may not be set in stone. In fact, Disney's press release announcing Abrams made no mention of a release date at all, and this is perhaps why….
THR reports that while Abrams is on to direct, he "has not committed to that release date, meaning the date could be changed if the development process requires it." This is hardly a big surprise. Abrams pulled the same move with Paramount when negotiating to helm "Star Trek Into Darkness." They wanted the followup for a 2012 bow, but Abrams refused to rush and pushed the movie back to 2013. And there's something admirable about that. With studios cranking out sequels faster than ever, it's refreshing that Abrams wants to make sure things are right before rolling cameras.
Meanwhile, Abrams has finally commented on his new "Star Wars" gig. “It really is an incredible thing,” Abrams told E! Online last night on the PGA red carpet. “It's wildly surreal. It's obviously way too early to talk specifics,” Abrams said when asked if original cast of Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford would return. “But I'm excited to actually start it.”
However, as stoked as he might be, the other thing to consider is that outside of "Star Wars," Abrams is extremely busy. He's confirmed to produce "Star Trek 3," develop the next "Mission: Impossible" and just had two TV pilots get greenlit. Undoubtedly, his attention is going to be divided, and perhaps he wants to clear a few things off his plate before zeroing in on "Star Wars: Episode 7." We'd reckon he's already talking about the story with screenwriter Michael Arndt, but the million dollar question will be what Abrams-esque twist or approach he'll want to bring to it.
So put your Boba Fett costume back in the closet for now. A galaxy far, far away might be a bit further than previously thought….