The studios behind the forthcoming Star Wars Episode VII have been forced to deny that director JJ Abrams is about to quit the project.
Disney and Lucasfilm have issued a statement in response to persistent rumours that Star Trek Into Darkness director Abrams was unhappy in his role, most recently in a post on the Badass Digest blog by writer Devin Faraci. Faraci stated: "This has been something I've heard for a while now, and from multiple insiders.... This weekend at Comic Con I continued to hear these whispers. No director for Trek 3 has been found yet - might Abrams end up coming back after all, leaving Star Wars to someone else?"
A spokesperson for Disney said: "There is no truth to the rumour. JJ is having a great time working on the script and is looking forward to going into production next year."
If Abrams was to leave Star Wars, it would represent a significant setback for the attempt to reboot the popular franchise. When he was unveiled as director in January this year, it was seen as something of a coup, poaching the man behind the success of Star Wars' rival franchise, Star Trek. Star Wars creator George Lucas said at the time the film "couldn't be in better hands". However, Abrams was known to be unhappy with the decision to make the film in the UK due to concerns over relocating his young family.
Star Wars Episode is due to begin shooting in early 2014 and is aiming for release in 2015.
