J.J. Abrams

"It's very exciting to have J.J. aboard leading the charge as we set off to make a new Star Wars movie. 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

'''Jeffrey Jacob "J.J." Abrams''' (born June 27, 1966) is an American film and television producer, screenwriter, director, actor, and composer. He is the director of ''Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens.

Biography
The son of television producers Gerald and Carol Ann Abrams, J.J. and his friend Matt Reeves won an award at a festival called "The Best Teen Super 8mm Films of ’81", held at the Nuart Theater, Los Angeles, in March 1982. Abrams and Reeves were hired by Kathleen Kennedy to transfer Steven Spielberg's student films to VHS.

On January 24, 2013, reports emerged that Abrams would direct the upcoming film Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens. StarWars.com confirmed the news the following day, announcing also that Abrams would co-produce the film alongside his longtime producing partner, Bryan Burk, and Abrams' production company, Bad Robot.

In October 2013, it was announced that Abrams had taken over screenwriting duties for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, working alongside Lawrence Kasdan following the departure of Michael Arndt. Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released in theaters on December 18, 2015.

In February 2015, Abrams confirmed that he would be executive producing Star Wars: Episodes VIII and IX.

Non-Canon Appearances

 * LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens