J.J. Abrams will replace Colin Trevorrow as the director and writer of Star Wars IX, Lucasfilm has announced.

"With The Force Awakens, J.J. delivered everything we could have possibly hoped for, and I am so excited that he is coming back to close out this trilogy," said Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy in a statement.

Last week, Trevorrow left the job amid chaos at Lucasfilm and ongoing problems with the Star Wars IX script. "Lucasfilm and Colin Trevorrow have mutually chosen to part ways on Star Wars: Episode IX," read a Lucasfilm statement. "Colin has been a wonderful collaborator throughout the development process, but we have all come to the conclusion that our visions for the project differ. We wish Colin the best and will be sharing more information about the film soon."

Abrams was among the top choices to replace Trevorrow after his Star Wars: The Force Awakens was a hit with both fans and critics. This marks the fourth time Lucasfilm has replaced a director on a Star Wars project after Abrams relaunched the franchise in 2015. Director Gareth Edwards was sidelined for screenwriter Tony Gilroy to overhaul Rogue One. Then again, six months later, news broke that Phil Lord and Chris Miller were fired in the middle of production for the upcoming Young Han Solo movie.

From: Esquire US