J.J. Abrams Says 'Star Wars Episode VII' Script Done, Confirms Jesse Plemons Talks

Jesse Plemons plays Todd on AMC's 'Breaking Bad'

J.J. Abrams says the script for “Star Wars Episode VII” is complete, and confirms that he’s talked with “Breaking Bad” actor Jesse Plemons about a role.
“We’re working really hard and we’ve got our script and we’re in deep prep,” Abrams told TheWrap. “Full steam ahead, y’know.”

Abrams spoke Sunday at the Television Critics Association summer press tour, where he’s promoting his new NBC series, “Believe.” He confirmed that Plemons is among the actors he’s speaking with, and expressed surprise about the reports of his talks with the actor.

J.J. Abrams

“He is one of the actors that we’ve talked to, yeah,” Abrams said. “But, you know. It’s not often that I read about actors that I’m going to be meeting… that I get to read articles about actors who are going to come in. And so I get to see someone and say, ‘Oh, I read that I’m going to see you.’ … It’s usually agents talking to people about what’s happening. It’s a lot of noise.”

(TheWrap reported earlier this month that Plemons was up for an “Episode VII” role, but the actor later downplayed the possibility as rumor.)

He was also asked about whether he’d like to shoot the new films in IMAX, and said he plans to shoot “Episode VII” on film.

“In the right situation I would,” like to shoot in IMAX, he said. “The problem with IMAX is it’s a very loud camera. It’s a very unreliable camera. Only so much film can be in the camera. You can’t really do intimate scenes with it. It’s slow. They break down often. Having said that, they’re working on digital versions of these and so there may be a version one day. But we’re going to be shooting this next movie on film.”

TheWrap asked Abrams him about the craziest “Episode VII” rumors he’s heard.

“There’ve been so many of them,” he said. “It’s amazing to see how many there are. … But it’s sweet because it shows that there’s an interest in this movie that we all obviously know is there. But it is an incredible thing to see how many crazy things get thrown out that people often then write commentaries about. How happy they are, how disappointed they are about something that is completely false. It’s a lot of noise, frankly.”

Not to add to the rumors, but Abrams is working on “Believe” with “Gravity” director Alfonso Cuaron. We asked if Abrams plans to direct the next “Star Wars” trilogy entirely on his own, or if he might bring in another director — Cuaron, for example.

He dodged the question as ably as the Millenium Falcon might swerve out of an asteroid’s path.

“I’m just focusing on ‘Episode VII’ right now,” he said.