Jeffrey Jacob Abrams (born June 27, 1966)
is an American
filmmaker
Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...
and
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and def ...
. He is best known for his works in the genres of
action
Action may refer to:
* Action (philosophy), something which is done by a person
* Action principles the heart of fundamental physics
* Action (narrative), a literary mode
* Action fiction, a type of genre fiction
* Action game, a genre of video gam ...
,
drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
, and
science fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
. Abrams wrote and produced films such as ''
Regarding Henry'' (1991), ''
Forever Young'' (1992), ''
Armageddon
Armageddon ( ; ; ; from ) is the prophesied gathering of armies for a battle during the end times, according to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Armageddon is variously interpreted as either a literal or a ...
'' (1998), ''
Cloverfield
''Cloverfield'' is a 2008 American Found footage (film technique), found footage monster movie, monster horror film directed by Matt Reeves and written by Drew Goddard. It stars Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller (in his film debut), Mic ...
'' (2008), ''
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
'' (2009), and the ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' sequels ''
The Force Awakens
''Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens'') is a 2015 American epic film, epic space opera film co-produced, co-written, and directed by J. J. Abrams. The sequel to ''Return of the Jedi ...
'' (2015) and ''
The Rise of Skywalker'' (2019). Abrams' films have grossed over $4 billion worldwide, making him the
tenth highest-grossing film director of all-time.
Abrams has created numerous television series, including ''
Felicity'' (co-creator, 1998–2002), ''
Alias'' (creator, 2001–2006), ''
Lost'' (co-creator, 2004–2010), ''
Fringe
Fringe may refer to:
Arts and music
* "The Fringe", or Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world's largest arts festival
* Adelaide Fringe, the world's second-largest annual arts festival
* Fringe theatre, a name for alternative theatre
* Purple fri ...
'' (co-creator, 2008–2013) and
''Duster'' (co-creator, 2025-). He won two
Emmy Awards
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
for ''Lost'' –
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series and
Outstanding Drama Series.
His directorial film work includes ''
Mission: Impossible III'' (2006), ''Star Trek'' (2009), ''
Super 8'' (2011), and ''
Star Trek Into Darkness
''Star Trek Into Darkness'' is a 2013 American science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof. It is the 12th installment in the ''Star Trek'' franchise ...
'' (2013). He also directed, co-produced, and co-wrote ''The Force Awakens'', the seventh episode of the ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
''
Skywalker Saga and the first film of the
sequel trilogy. The film is his highest grossing, the
fifth-highest-grossing film of all time not adjusted for inflation, as well as the
most expensive film ever made. He returned to ''Star Wars'' by executive producing ''
The Last Jedi'' (2017), and directing, co-producing, and co-writing ''
The Rise of Skywalker'' (2019).
Abrams' frequent collaborators include producer
Bryan Burk; producer/directors
Damon Lindelof
Damon Laurence Lindelof (born April 24, 1973) is an American screenwriter, comic book writer, and producer. Among his accolades, he received three Primetime Emmy Awards, from twelve nominations. In 2010, ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine named ...
and
Tommy Gormley; actors
Greg Grunberg,
Simon Pegg
Simon John Pegg (; born 14 February 1970) is an English actor, comedian and screenwriter. He came to prominence in the UK as the co-creator of the Channel 4 sitcom ''Spaced'' (1999–2001), directed by Edgar Wright. He and Wright co-wrote the ...
,
Amanda Foreman, and
Keri Russell; composer
Michael Giacchino
Michael Giacchino ( , ; born October 10, 1967) is an American film, television, and video game score composer. He has received many accolades for his work, including an Academy Award for ''Up (2009 film), Up'' (2009), an Emmy Award, Emmy for Lo ...
; writers
Alex Kurtzman and
Roberto Orci
Roberto Gaston Orcí (July 20, 1973 – February 25, 2025) was a Mexican-American film and television screenwriter and producer.
Born in Mexico City, Orci began his longtime collaboration with Alex Kurtzman while at school in California. Toge ...
, cinematographers
Daniel Mindel and
Larry Fong; and editors
Maryann Brandon and
Mary Jo Markey.
Early life
Jeffrey Jacob Abrams was born on June 27, 1966, in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, New York to veteran television producer
Gerald W. Abrams (born 1939) of
Polish-Jewish descent and
Carol Ann Abrams (née Kelvin; 1942–2012), a
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...
winning television executive producer as well as author and law academic.
His sister is the screenwriter Tracy Rosen. His father worked at
CBS in
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...
the year prior to Abrams' birth. By 1971 the family had relocated to Los Angeles. His mother worked as a real estate agent while Abrams and his sister were at school.
[
Abrams attended Palisades High School and after graduation planned on going to art school rather than a traditional college but eventually enrolled at ]Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College (SLC) is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Yonkers, New York, United States. Founded as a Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in 1926, Sarah Lawrence College has been coeducational ...
, in Bronxville
Bronxville is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States, located approximately north of Midtown Manhattan. It is part of the Adminis ...
, New York.
Film career
Early career
Abrams' first job in the movie business was at age 16 when he wrote the music for Don Dohler's 1982 horror movie '' Nightbeast''. During his senior year at college, he teamed with Jill Mazursky, the daughter of award-winning writer/director Paul Mazursky
Irwin Lawrence "Paul" Mazursky (; April 25, 1930 – June 30, 2014) was an American film director, screenwriter, and actor. Known for his dramatic comedies that often dealt with modern social issues, he was nominated for five Academy Awards for '' ...
, to write a feature film treatment
A film treatment (or simply treatment) is a piece of prose, typically the step between scene cards (index cards) and the first draft of a screenplay for a motion picture, television program, or radio play. It is generally longer and more detailed ...
. Purchased by Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures was an American film distribution label of Walt Disney Studios, founded and owned by The Walt Disney Company. Feature films released under the Touchstone label were produced and financed by Walt Disney Studios, and featured ...
, the treatment was the basis for '' Taking Care of Business'', Abrams' first produced film, which starred Charles Grodin
Charles Sidney Grodin (April 21, 1935 – May 18, 2021) was an American actor, comedian, author, and television talk show host. Known for his deadpan delivery and often cast as a put-upon straight man, Grodin became familiar as a supporting acto ...
and James Belushi and was directed by Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
winner Arthur Hiller
Arthur Hiller, (November 22, 1923 – August 17, 2016) was a Canadian television and film director with over 33 films to his credit during a 50-year career. He began his career directing television in Canada and later in the U.S. By the late ...
. He followed with '' Regarding Henry'', starring Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. Regarded as a cinematic cultural icon, he has starred in Harrison Ford filmography, many notable films over seven decades, and is one of List of highest-grossing actors, the highest-gr ...
, and '' Forever Young'', starring Mel Gibson
Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Mel Gibson, multiple accolades, he is known for directing historical films as well for his act ...
. He also co-wrote with Mazursky the script for the comedy '' Gone Fishin''' starring Joe Pesci
Joseph Frank Pesci ( , ; born February 9, 1943) is an American actor and musician. He is best known for portraying tough, volatile characters, in a variety of genres, and for his collaborations with his best friend, Robert De Niro in the films ' ...
and Danny Glover
Danny Glover ( ; born July 22, 1946) is an American actor, producer, and political activist. Over his career he has received List of awards and nominations received by Danny Glover, numerous accolades including the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian A ...
.
In 1994, he was part of the "Propellerheads" with Rob Letterman, Loren Soman, and Andy Waisler. The Propellerheads were a group of Sarah Lawrence alums experimenting with computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating Film, moving images. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both still images and moving images, while computer animation refers to moving images. Virtu ...
technology. They were contracted by Jeffrey Katzenberg
Jeffrey Katzenberg ( ; born December 21, 1950) is an American media proprietor and film producer. He served as chairman of Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios from 1984 to 1994, a position in which he oversaw production and busin ...
to develop animation for the film ''Shrek
''Shrek'' is a 2001 American animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, and written by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, and Roger S. H. Schulman, loosely based on the 1990 children's picture boo ...
''. Abrams worked on the screenplay for the 1998 film ''Armageddon
Armageddon ( ; ; ; from ) is the prophesied gathering of armies for a battle during the end times, according to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Armageddon is variously interpreted as either a literal or a ...
'' with producer Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerome Leonard Bruckheimer (born September 21, 1943) is an American film and television producer. He has been active in the genres of action, drama, comedy, fantasy, horror and science fiction. After working in advertising out of college, Bruck ...
and director Michael Bay
Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965) is an American film director and producer. He is best known for making big-budget high-concept action films with fast cutting, stylistic cinematography and visuals, and extensive use of special eff ...
. That same year, he made his first foray into television with '' Felicity'', which ran for four seasons on The WB Network, serving as the series' co-creator (with Matt Reeves) and executive producer. He also composed its opening theme music
Theme music is a musical composition which is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...
.
2000s
Under his production company, Bad Robot
Bad Robot is an American film and television production company founded on May 27, 1999, and led by Katie McGrath and J. J. Abrams as Co-CEO. Under its Bad Robot Productions division, the company is responsible for the television series '' Alia ...
, which he founded with Bryan Burk in 2001, Abrams created and executive-produced ABC's '' Alias'' and is co-creator (along with Damon Lindelof
Damon Laurence Lindelof (born April 24, 1973) is an American screenwriter, comic book writer, and producer. Among his accolades, he received three Primetime Emmy Awards, from twelve nominations. In 2010, ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine named ...
and Jeffrey Lieber) and was executive producer of '' Lost.'' As with ''Felicity,'' Abrams also composed the opening theme music
Theme music is a musical composition which is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...
for ''Alias'' and ''Lost''. Abrams directed and wrote the two-part pilot for ''Lost'' and remained active producer for the first half of the season. Also in 2001, Abrams co-wrote and produced the horror-thriller '' Joy Ride''.[Neil Daniels ] In 2006, he served as executive producer of ''What About Brian
''What About Brian?'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Dana Stevens and co-produced by J. J. Abrams' company Bad Robot. The series premiered on April 16, 2006, on ABC, as a mid-season replacement and concluded on March ...
'' and '' Six Degrees'', also on ABC. He also co-wrote the teleplay for ''Lost''s third-season premiere "A Tale of Two Cities
''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by English author Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long impr ...
" and the same year, he made his feature directorial debut with '' Mission: Impossible III'', starring Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962) is an American actor and film producer. Regarded as a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood icon, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Tom Cruise, various accolades, includ ...
. Abrams spoke at the TED conference in 2007.
In 2008, Abrams produced the monster movie
A monster movie, monster film, creature feature or giant monster film is a film that focuses on one or more characters struggling to survive attacks by one or more antagonistic monsters, often abnormally megafauna, large ones. The film may also ...
''Cloverfield
''Cloverfield'' is a 2008 American Found footage (film technique), found footage monster movie, monster horror film directed by Matt Reeves and written by Drew Goddard. It stars Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller (in his film debut), Mic ...
'', which Matt Reeves directed. In 2009, he directed the science fiction film
Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses Speculative fiction, speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as Extraterrestrial life in fiction, extraterrestria ...
''Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
'', which he produced with ''Lost'' co-creator Damon Lindelof. While it was speculated that they would be writing and producing an adaptation of Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
's '' The Dark Tower'' series of novels, they publicly stated in November 2009 that they were no longer looking to take on that project. In 2008, Abrams co-created, executive produced, and co-wrote (along with Roberto Orci
Roberto Gaston Orcí (July 20, 1973 – February 25, 2025) was a Mexican-American film and television screenwriter and producer.
Born in Mexico City, Orci began his longtime collaboration with Alex Kurtzman while at school in California. Toge ...
and Alex Kurtzman) the FOX science fiction series ''Fringe
Fringe may refer to:
Arts and music
* "The Fringe", or Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world's largest arts festival
* Adelaide Fringe, the world's second-largest annual arts festival
* Fringe theatre, a name for alternative theatre
* Purple fri ...
'', for which he also composed the theme music. He was featured in the 2009 MTV Movie Awards 1980s-style digital short " Cool Guys Don't Look at Explosions", with Andy Samberg and Will Ferrell
John William Ferrell (; born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is known for his leading man roles in comedy films and for his work as a television producer. Ferrell received various accolades, including ...
, in which he plays a keyboard solo. NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
picked up Abrams's '' Undercovers'' as its first new drama series for the 2010–11 season. However, it was subsequently cancelled by the network in November 2010.
2010s
Abrams wrote and directed the Paramount
Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to:
Entertainment and music companies
* Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS.
**Paramount Picture ...
science fiction thriller '' Super 8'', starring Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning
Mary Elle Fanning (born April 9, 1998) is an American actress. Her works include both independent films and blockbusters, and her accolades include a National Board of Review Award, in addition to nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and ...
, while co-producing with Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
and Bryan Burk; it was released on June 10, 2011.
Abrams directed the sequel to ''Star Trek'', ''Star Trek Into Darkness
''Star Trek Into Darkness'' is a 2013 American science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof. It is the 12th installment in the ''Star Trek'' franchise ...
'', released in May 2013. The film was interpreted as a loose remake
A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same s ...
of '' Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan''. Critics generally reacted positively to the film, while Nicholas Meyer
Nicholas Meyer (born December 24, 1945) is an American screenwriter, director and author known for his best-selling novel '' The Seven-Per-Cent Solution'', and for directing the films '' Time After Time'', two of the ''Star Trek'' feature films, ...
, the director of ''The Wrath of Khan'', called it a "gimmick". Abrams was criticized for the film's treatment of classic villain Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch (born 19 July 1976) is an English actor. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Benedict Cumberbatch, various accolades, including a BAFTA TV Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Laurenc ...
). Many felt that much of the character, originally played by Mexican actor Ricardo Montalbán, had been lost, especially his ethnic identity. Two years after the film's release, Abrams said of the film, "there were certain things I was unsure of. ... Any movie ... has a fundamental conversation happening during it. And or ''Into Darkness'',I didn't have it... he weakness of the plotwas not anyone's fault but mine. ... he scriptwas a little bit of a collection of scenes that were written by my friends ... And yet, I found myself frustrated by my choices, and unable to hang my hat on an undeniable thread of the main story. So then I found myself on that movie basically tap-dancing as well as I could to try and make the sequences as entertaining as possible. ... I would never say that I don't think that the movie ended up working. But I feel like it didn't work as well as it could have, had I made some better decisions before we started shooting."
On January 25, 2013, Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
and Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company founded by filmmaker George Lucas in December 10, 1971 in San Rafael, California, and later moved to San Francisco in 2005. It is best known for creating and producing th ...
introduced Abrams as director and producer of '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'', the seventh entry in the ''Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' film saga, with Bryan Burk and Bad Robot producing the film. Following this news, speculation arose as to Abrams's future with Paramount Pictures, under which he had released all of his previous feature work as a director, and which had a first-look deal with his company, Bad Robot. Paramount vice-chairman Rob Moore stated that Abrams would continue to have a hand in the ''Star Trek'' and ''Mission: Impossible'' franchises going forward.
Abrams directed, produced, and co-wrote the screenplay for ''The Force Awakens'', which opened in theaters on December 18, 2015. Despite its strong box office performance and positive reviews, the film was considered by some, including ''Star Wars'' creator George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairman ...
, to be too similar to the original 1977 film. In 2016, Abrams responded towards these complaints, stating: "What was important for me was introducing brand new characters using relationships that were embracing the history that we know to tell a story that is new — to go backwards to go forwards".
Abrams returned as producer for ''Star Trek Beyond
''Star Trek Beyond'' is a 2016 American science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by Justin Lin, written by Simon Pegg and Doug Jung. It is the 13th film in the ''Star Trek'' franchise and the third installment in List of Star ...
'', released in 2016. In 2016, he also produced ''The Cloverfield Paradox
''The Cloverfield Paradox'' is a 2018 American science fiction horror film directed by Julius Onah and written by Oren Uziel, from a story by Uziel and Doug Jung, and produced by J. J. Abrams and Lindsey Weber. It is the third film in the ...
'', a sequel to ''10 Cloverfield Lane
''10 Cloverfield Lane'' is a 2016 American science fiction horror thriller film directed by Dan Trachtenberg in his directorial debut, produced by J. J. Abrams and Lindsey Weber and written by Josh Campbell, Matthew Stuecken, and Damien Chaze ...
'', which was released on Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
in February 2018. Also in 2018, Abrams produced ''Overlord
An overlord in the English feudal system was a lord of a manor who had subinfeudated a particular manor, estate or fee, to a tenant. The tenant thenceforth owed to the overlord one of a variety of services, usually military service or ...
'', a horror film set behind German enemy lines in World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and directed by Julius Avery. Abrams also produced the fourth, fifth, and sixth ''Mission: Impossible'' films.
In September 2017, Abrams returned to direct and co-write '' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'' with Chris Terrio. The film was released in December 2019 and received mixed reviews from critics and fans, while audience reactions were also mixed.
2020s
In September 2019, Abrams and his Bad Robot company signed a $250 million five-year deal with WarnerMedia
Warner Media, LLC (Trade name, doing business as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational corporation, multinational mass media and show business, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate owned by AT&T. It was headquartered at the 30 ...
, including HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
and Warner Bros. Pictures. In April 2020, it was announced that Abrams would be developing three new shows for HBO Max
Max (known in other countries as, and soon to be reverted globally to HBO Max) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It is a proprietary unit of Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming on behalf of Home Box Of ...
: '' Duster'', ''Overlook
A scenic viewpoint—also called an observation point, viewpoint, viewing point, vista point, scenic overlook,These terms are more commonly used in North America. etc.—is an elevated location where people can view scenery (often with binocul ...
'', and ''Justice League Dark
Justice League Dark, or JLD, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team made their debut in ''Justice League Dark'' #1 (September 2011). The team features some of the more supernatural characters in t ...
''. Since then, the latter two have been scrapped.
Abrams was one of the producers of an animated short film of '' The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse'', shown on BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
and BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer (stylised as iPLAYER or BBC iPLAYER) is a video on demand service from the BBC. The service is available Over-the-top media service, over-the-top on a wide range of devices, including Mobile phone, mobile phones and Tablet computer ...
at Christmas 2022.
Abrams served as executive producer and co-creator of a new Batman
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
animated series titled '' Batman: Caped Crusader'' alongside Matt Reeves and Bruce Timm. The production team created eleven episodes which premiered August 1, 2024.
On May 8, 2024, it was announced that Abrams would write and direct an untitled new film, with Glen Powell
Glen Thomas Powell Jr. (born October 21, 1988) is an American actor and screenwriter. He began his career with small roles on television and in films such as '' Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over'' (2003) and '' Fast Food Nation'' (2006). Powell acted in t ...
in early talks to star in the project with Bad Robot signing on as the production company. The company's five-year deal with Warner Bros. was also extended in August 2024, although it was expected to be less expensive than the previous agreement with future projects having significant budget cuts.
Future projects include '' Flowervale Street'', a ''Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels is an American media franchise and brand of scale model model car, cars invented by Elliot Handler and introduced by his company Mattel on May 18, 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox (brand), Matchbox until Mattel bought ...
'' film adaptation, and an animated film based on Dr. Seuss' ''Oh, the Places You'll Go!
''Oh, the Places You'll Go!'' is a children's picture book, written and illustrated by children's author Dr. Seuss. It was first published by Random House on January 22, 1990. It was his last book to be published during his lifetime, before his ...
''.
Unrealized projects
In 1989, Abrams met Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
at a film festival, where Spielberg spoke about a possible ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' sequel, with Abrams as a possible writer and with Robert Zemeckis
Robert Lee Zemeckis (born May 14, 1952) is an American filmmaker known for directing and producing a range of successful and influential movies, often blending cutting-edge visual effects with storytelling. He has received several accolades incl ...
as producer. Nothing came up from this project, although Abrams has some storyboards for a ''Roger Rabbit
Roger Rabbit is a fictional animated anthropomorphic rabbit. The character first appeared in author Gary K. Wolf's 1981 novel, '' Who Censored Roger Rabbit?''. In the book, Roger is second banana in a popular comic strip, "Baby Herman". Roger ...
'' short.
In July 2002, Abrams wrote a script for a possible fifth Superman
Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
film entitled '' Superman: Flyby''. Brett Ratner
Brett Ratner (born March 28, 1969) is an American film director and producer. He directed the Rush Hour (film series), ''Rush Hour'' film series, ''The Family Man'', ''Red Dragon (2002 film), Red Dragon'', ''X-Men: The Last Stand'', ''Tower Heist ...
and McG entered into talks to direct, although Abrams tried to get the chance to direct his own script. However, the project was finally cancelled in 2004 and instead ''Superman Returns
''Superman Returns'' is a 2006 American superhero film directed by Bryan Singer, and written by Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris from a story by Singer, Dougherty and Harris, based on the DC Comics character Superman. It serves as a homage ...
'' was released in 2006.
In November 2009, Abrams and Bad Robot Productions
Bad Robot is an American film and television production company founded on May 27, 1999, and led by Katie McGrath and J. J. Abrams as Co-CEO. Under its Bad Robot Productions division, the company is responsible for the Television show, televisio ...
along with Cartoon Network Movies, Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
, Frederator Films and Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
, reportedly were producing a film adaptation
A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...
of '' Samurai Jack''. However, the production of the film was scrapped after Abrams' departure from the project to direct ''Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
''. For this and other reasons, series creator Genndy Tartakovsky
Gennady Borisovich "Genndy" Tartakovsky (; born January 17, 1970) is a Soviet-born American animation, animator, screenwriter, film producer, and film director, director. He is best known as the creator of various animated television series on ...
made a new season instead of a feature film. Also in 2009, Abrams and Bad Robot
Bad Robot is an American film and television production company founded on May 27, 1999, and led by Katie McGrath and J. J. Abrams as Co-CEO. Under its Bad Robot Productions division, the company is responsible for the television series '' Alia ...
were reportedly set to produce a film based on the Micronauts
Micronauts is a North American science fiction toyline manufactured and marketed by Mego from 1976 to 1980. The ''Micronauts'' toyline was based on and licensed from the '' Microman'' toyline created by Japanese-based toy company Takara in 1974 ...
toy line. However, the film has never gone into production.
In February 2018, HBO ordered Abrams' sci-fi drama ''Demimonde'' to series. In June 2022, the project was cancelled.
Bad Robot
In 2001, Abrams founded his own production company, Bad Robot
Bad Robot is an American film and television production company founded on May 27, 1999, and led by Katie McGrath and J. J. Abrams as Co-CEO. Under its Bad Robot Productions division, the company is responsible for the television series '' Alia ...
, in association with Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
and Warner Bros. Pictures. Initially a television production company under Touchstone Television
The second incarnation of Touchstone Television, formerly known as Fox 21 Television Studios, was an American television production company and a subsidiary of the Disney Television Studios, a subsidiary of the Disney Media Networks business s ...
, Bad Robot would branch out into film production, with the first movie to be produced under the Bad Robot name being '' Joy Ride'' (2001). Bad Robot is well known for '' Lost'', the ''Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
'' Kelvin timeline films, the '' Mission: Impossible'' films excluding '' Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One'', the ''Cloverfield'' franchise, and the ''Star Wars'' sequel trilogy.
Other work
Video game
As of November 2015, a video game called ''Spyjinx'' was in development, with Abrams in a collaboration with Bad Robot and Chair Entertainment
Chair Entertainment Group, LLC (stylized as ChAIR) is an American video game developer based in Salt Lake City. The company was acquired by Epic Games in 2008.
History
Chair Entertainment was formed in 2005 by Donald Mustard and Geremy Mustard ...
. A beta test was launched on April 2, 2020, by Epic Games
Epic Games, Inc. is an American Video game developer, video game and software development, software developer and video game publisher, publisher based in Cary, North Carolina. The company was founded by Tim Sweeney (game developer), Tim Sween ...
.
Books and comics
On October 29, 2013, '' S.'', a novel written by Doug Dorst
Doug Dorst is an American novelist, short story writer, and creative writing instructor. Dorst is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and the Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University. He is the current director of the MFA Program in Creativ ...
based on a concept by Abrams, was released.
In 2019, Abrams made his debut as a writer for Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
, co-authoring the company's title Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
from September of that year with his son Henry. The first issue of the comic includes the death of Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane "MJ" Watson is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, making her first appearance in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #25 (June 1965), and subsequent ...
, and a twelve-year time shift, with the series' protagonist being Ben Parker, son of Peter Parker and Mary Jane.
Personal life
Abrams is married to public relations executive Katie McGrath and has three children.[ His daughter, Gracie Abrams, is a pop singer-songwriter. He resides in ]Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles
Pacific Palisades is a neighborhood in the Westside region of the city of Los Angeles, California, situated about west of downtown Los Angeles. Throughout January 2025, the majority of Pacific Palisades was severely affected and destroyed by ...
, California. He is Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
and his wife is Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, and he sometimes takes his children to religious services on Jewish holidays.
Abrams serves on the Creative Council of Represent.Us, a nonpartisan Nonpartisan or non-partisan may refer to:
__NOTOC__ General political concepts
* Nonpartisanship, also known as Nonpartisanism, co-operation without reference to political parties
* Non-partisan democracy, an election with no official recognition ...
anti-corruption organization and the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF) Board of Governors. It was also reported that he attended the 2024 Democratic National Convention
The 2024 Democratic National Convention was a United States presidential nominating convention, presidential nominating convention in which delegates of the Democratic Party (United States), United States Democratic Party
voted on their party ...
in Chicago.
In September 2024, Abrams signed a letter along with over 125 other Hollywood professionals urging California Governor Gavin Newsom
Gavin Christopher Newsom ( ; born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman serving since 2019 as the 40th governor of California. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served from 2011 to 201 ...
to sign AI safety bill SB 1047.
Filmography
Film
Acting credits
Other roles
Television
Executive producer only
* ''What About Brian
''What About Brian?'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Dana Stevens and co-produced by J. J. Abrams' company Bad Robot. The series premiered on April 16, 2006, on ABC, as a mid-season replacement and concluded on March ...
'' (2006–07)
* '' Six Degrees'' (2006–07)
* '' Believe'' (2014)
* '' 11.22.63'' (2016) (Miniseries)
* '' Roadies'' (2016)
* ''Westworld
''Westworld'' is an American science fiction dystopia media franchise that began with the Westworld (film), 1973 film ''Westworld'', written and directed by Michael Crichton. The film depicts a technologically advanced Wild West, Wild-West-th ...
'' (2016–2022)
* ''Castle Rock'' (2018–19)
* '' Little Voice'' (2020)
* '' Lovecraft Country'' (2020)
* '' Challenger: The Final Flight'' (2020)
* '' Lisey's Story'' (2021) (Miniseries)
* '' UFO'' (2021)
* '' Presumed Innocent'' (2024)
* '' Batman: Caped Crusader'' (2024–present)
Acting credits
Theatre
Bibliography
* '' S.'' (with Doug Dorst
Doug Dorst is an American novelist, short story writer, and creative writing instructor. Dorst is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and the Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University. He is the current director of the MFA Program in Creativ ...
, 2013)
Awards and nominations
Notes
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abrams, J.J.
1966 births
Living people
20th-century American male composers
20th-century American composers
20th-century American Jews
20th-century American male writers
20th-century American screenwriters
21st-century American male composers
21st-century American composers
21st-century American Jews
21st-century American male writers
21st-century American screenwriters
American action film directors
American male screenwriters
American male television writers
American people of Polish-Jewish descent
American people of Latvian-Jewish descent
American people of Latvian descent
American science fiction film directors
American showrunners
American television directors
Film directors from New York City
Film producers from New York City
International Emmy Founders Award winners
Jewish American musicians
Jewish American screenwriters
Jewish American television composers
Jewish American television writers
American television writers
American male television composers
American television composers
Primetime Emmy Award winners
Sarah Lawrence College alumni
Screenwriters from New York City
Television producers from New York City
American television show creators
Writers Guild of America Award winners
AI safety advocates