Check out the surprising director announcement...and no, it's not JJ Abrams. For awhile now, we've known that Star Trek reboot-er JJ Abrams was in charge of bringing the next films to theaters. Under his leadership, we've seen images of the cast and tantilizing set pieces . But it was always assumed that he would be directing Episodes 7-9. Not so. According to multiple sources including Deadline, it's been announced that writer and director Rian Johnson (Looper) will not only be taking over as director AND writer for Episode 8. There's also rumors spreading that Johnson will be doing the same with Episode 9. While TheWrap is known for their accuracy, we're not ready to call that deal done yet. He has been plugged to pen the final installment, but it's the directorial duties that have yet to be finalized. This would place Johnson at the head of one of the most iconic film series in history, with Lawrence Kasdan (rumored to be in charge on the sp