Star Wars Episode 9 Release Date Delayed After JJ Abrams Joins As Director/Writer

Following the news that JJ Abrams is to take over directing Star Wars: Episode IX, it has been announced that the film's release has moved back seven months. Episode IX was set to arrive in May 2019, but it will now hit theaters on December 20, 2019.

Abrams directed the first of the new Star Wars movies, 2015's The Force Awakens, and takes over directing duties from Jurassic World's Colin Trevorrow, who left Episode IX last week.

Abrams is set to write Episode IX with Chris Terrio (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League). Trevorrow was previously working on the screenplay, but the change of personel and the shift in release date suggest that the movie is to undergo a major rewrite.

The next Star Wars movie will be The Last Jedi, which hits theaters in December this year, while the young Han Solo spinoff film is due in May next year. The Solo movie also experienced a change of directors, with Ron Howard replacing Phil Lord and Chris Miller during production. However, the release date for that movie has not changed.