3D Star Wars Releases Postponed

The 3D releases of the final two Star Wars prequel films have been postponed to enable filmmakers to concentrate on Episode VII.

Disney/Lucasfilm confirmed that Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones and Episode III - Revenge of the Sith are to be delayed in the wake of Star Trek director JJ Abrams being confirmed as the director of the forthcoming movie, Episode VII. The film is set for a 2015 release.

Disney bought Lucasfilm, the company behind Star Wars, from creator George Lucas last month for £2.6bn.

Episode I - The Phantom Menace was released in 3D last February and earned $22.4m (£14.3m) in the US in its opening weekend. The original prequels were released between 1999 and 2005.

Darth Maul from Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Abrams directed the Star Trek reboot in 2009 and its upcoming sequel, Star Trek into Darkness, to be released May. Lucas said he was the "ideal choice" to direct the the seventh movie in the series - due out in 2015 - adding "the legacy couldn't be in better hands".

It will be scripted by Oscar-winning writer Michael Arndt.

Lucus and Kennedy on J.J. Abrams

Now that J. J. Abrams has been announced as the director of Disney’s Star Wars: Episode VII, George Lucus and Kathleen Kennedy have spoken to StarWars.com and given their verdict.

"It's very exciting to have J.J. aboard leading the charge as we set off to make a new Star Wars movie," said Kennedy to StarWars.com. "J.J. is the perfect director to helm this. Beyond having such great instincts as a filmmaker, he has an intuitive understanding of this franchise. He understands the essence of the Star Wars experience, and will bring that talent to create an unforgettable motion picture."

Kathleen Kennedy, leading the new Star Wars sequel trilogy

George Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars universe told the same website: "I've consistently been impressed with J.J. as a filmmaker and storyteller. He's an ideal choice to direct the new Star Wars film and the legacy couldn't be in better hands."

J.J. remarked: "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. I may be even more grateful to George Lucas now than I was as a kid."

J.J. and his longtime producing partner Bryan Burk, together with Bad Robot, are on board to produce the film along with Kathleen Kennedy under the Disney/Lucasfilm brand.

Also consulting on the project is Lawrence Kasdan, the screenwriter for what fans call the greatest Star Wars movies – The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

J.J Abrams has a proven track record of blockbuster movies and iconic dramas, including Star Trek, Super 8, Star Trek Into Darkness, Alias, Lost and Fringe. Abrams has alreadt worked with Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound on all of the feature films he has directed, beginning with Mission: Impossible III.

LOST - Abrams' acclaimed TV series

J. J. Abrams to Direct New Star Wars Movie!

Despite his public declaration a few weeks ago that he was not interested, J.J. Abrams will direct the new Disney Star Wars movie!

The Lost creator's appointment ends months of speculation about who would take the job after the sale of George Lucus's multi-billion sci-fi franchise to Disney last year. Abrams, a life-long fan of Star Wars, had originally suggested he was not up for the job, but never totally ruled himself out. "I am looking forward more than anyone to the next iterations of Star Wars, but I believe I will be going as a paying moviegoer!" he told 'Hollywood Life' last year.

Abrams - the creator of Lost will direct Episode VII

Star Wars Episode VII is set to be in cinemas in only 2 years’ time! Disney has said that it plans to release a new Star Wars film every two to three years after that and here at disneystarwarstrilogy.com we will have all the news! It has been suggested that the plot of the film, which could feature cameos from original cast members Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford as Luke Skywalker's attempts to build a new Jedi Academy on Planet Yavin 4. The new film is being scripted by Michael Arndt, the Oscar-winning writer of Little Miss Sunshine.

Mr. Abrams has long been popular with the science fiction crowd; his next movie is “Star Trek Into Darkness,” set for release by Paramount Pictures in May. We all remember the acclaimed, ground-breaking TV series, Lost, the brainchild of Abrams, which rocketed him to stardom.

We here at disneystarwarstrilogy.com couldn’t hope for a better director and we firmly believe that the news sequel trilogy will top the prequels with ease!

Top Directors Turn Down Disney Star Wars

Guillermo Del Toro, the director behind “Pacific Rim,” revealed that someone called him to gauge his interest in directing the first movie in the Disney Star Wars Trilogy, shortly after the Disney purchased Lucasfilm.

Del Toro approached to direct Star Wars

And that he politely declined.

“We got one phone call to my agent saying, 'Is Guillermo interested?” the director told IndieWire.com. “And basically I have so much stuff already of my own, and I'm pursuing stuff that I'm generating already.

“It was just a phone call, it didn't go past that, it was very nice to be asked, but believe it or not, I'm busy enough." J.J. Abrams, the man behind the acclaimed Lost TV series, recently told Empire magazine that he, too, was approached.

J. J. Abrams was also approached

"I declined any involvement very early on. I'd rather be in the audience not knowing what was coming, rather than being involved in the minutiae of making them," Abrams told Empire.

Steven Spielberg has also reportedly declined to follow in the footsteps of his good friend, Star Wars creator George Lucas.

Star Wars Weekends 2013 Dates Announced

Star Wars Weekends is returning this summer - every Friday, Saturday and Sunday between May 17 and June 9, 2013 at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Star Wars Weekends returns this summer

Starwars.com has said that James Arnold Taylor and Ashley Eckstein are confirmed as hosts for the special event. As I'm sure you all know, Taylor is the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi  in Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV seriesa and Eckstein voices Anakin's Padawan learner, Ahsoka Tano.

More on the Weekends coming soon.