J.J. Abrams‘ mysterious new movie may have found its female lead. Jenna Ortega is in talks to star alongside Glen Powell in the film, which will be Abrams‘ first in over five years. Deadline reports that Ortega and Powell are both close to finalizing their deals. Details on the film are being kept in one of Abrams‘ beloved “mystery boxes” so far, although Deadline reports that it is not a time travel movie. The film will be Abrams‘ first since the financially successful but critically derided Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and his first non-franchise film since 2011’s Super 8.
It will be the first on-screen collaboration between two of the buzziest new stars in Hollywood, who are both in the midst of a string of successes. Powell has recently headlined Anyone But You, Hit Man, and Twisters, the latter of which has already siphoned over $270 million (USD) into its box office suck zone. Ortega, meanwhile, helped resurrect the Scream franchise, toplined Netflix‘s hit series Wednesday, and is set to star in the long-anticipated sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice this fall.
What Has J.J. Abrams Been Up To Recently?
Although Abrams hasn’t directed a movie since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, which ended the Star Wars sequel trilogy on a chaotic note, he has been busy in a producing capacity. Abrams signed a lucrative overall deal with Warner Bros for $250 million (USD), although it largely has yet to bear fruit for the embattled studio. Abrams is also involved in the lengthy attempt to continue the big-screen Star Trek franchise he re-launched in 2009; progress on a fourth movie reuniting Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and the rest of the Enterprise crew has been fitful, but Steve Yockey is now attached to write the film.
He is also attached to a Hot Wheels movie, one of the many Mattel toy-based movies launched in the wake of last year’s Barbie box-office bonanza. Abrams is one of the producers, alongside Matt Reeves and Bruce Timm, of the noir-tinged animated series Batman: Caped Crusader, which can now be seen on Amazon Prime Video. In addition to directing the upcoming film, Abrams will also write the project’s script. It will be produced by his production company, Bad Robot, and will be distributed by Warner Bros.
J.J. Abrams‘ next untitled movie is set to star Glen Powell and Jenna Ortega; no title, plot summary, or release date has yet been announced. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
via Collider