The daily gossip: J.J. Abrams will direct Star Wars: Episode VII, and more

5 top pieces of celebrity gossip — from the unpromising Dumb and Dumber To script to Michael Buble's baby

J.J. Abrams
(Image credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

1. J.J. Abrams will direct Star Wars: Episode VII

If you felt a great disturbance in the Force this afternoon, there's a good reason: Star Trek director J.J. Abrams has just been handed the keys to the Millennium Falcon. ScreenCrush reports that Abrams will revive the Star Wars franchise with Star Wars: Episode VII, having beaten runner-up Ben Affleck for the gig, perhaps because Disney wouldn't let Affleck set the film in blue-collar Boston. No details are currently available on Episode VII's plot, which is being written by Little Miss Sunshine screenwriter Michael Arndt, so let's irresponsibly assume that the story will center on a dysfunctional family's attempts to get their daughter to a child beauty pageant (but in space).

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Scott Meslow

Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.