J.J. Abrams is directing the new 'Star Wars' film.

The 'Star Trek' filmmaker has made a deal to helm the first instalment of the newly adapted Disney franchise, due for release in 2015, despite having ruled himself out of the project last year - even though he was a fan of George Lucas' original movies.

The Wrap also reported that Abrams beat actor and award-winning 'Argo' director Ben Affleck to take the top spot in the feature, which 'Little Miss Sunshine' screenwriter Michael Arndt is penning.

Abrams previously expressed his love of the CGI effects in the first trilogy, telling Entertainment Weekly: ''As a kid I was always a fan of special effects. Watching movies I was constantly trying to figure out how they did it, whatever the effect was.'Star Wars' was the first movie that blew my mind in that way; it didn't matter how they did any of it because it was all so overwhelmingly and entirely great.

''It was funny and romantic and scary and compelling and the visual effects just served the characters and story. It galvanized for me; not for what was exciting about how movies were made, but rather for what movies were capable of.''