J. J. Abrams is directing his first movie in over seven years, and it looks like he plans on completely switching genres. Abrams, once the premier name in science fiction storytelling, has been dormant as a movie director since 2019, when he directed the final film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Though he created the 2025 series Duster on HBO and had a handful of producing credits, he’s largely stayed out of the spotlight since 2019. Felicity and Alias bought Abrams cache with TV networks, but it was Lost when he became more of a recognizable figure. That fantasy/sci-fi mashup led to Fringe, Person of Interest, the Star Trek reboot, and Super 8.
His career is steeped in science fiction influences, but for his next film, he has something else in mind. The Great Beyond was announced in April 2026 at CinemaCon and is set to star Jenna Ortega and Glen Powell, with Samuel L. Jackson and Emma Mackey in supporting roles.
The film is set for an October 1, 2027 wide release, and while there’s still not much in the way of plot synopsis, the CinemaCon announcement came with a trailer that suggests Ortega and Powell’s characters will be traveling to a mysterious alternate world. That may sound like another sci-fi adventure, but Abrams insists this is different than what he’s done before.
J. J. Abrams’ The Great Beyond Is A Mashup Of Genres, Some Of Which He’s Never Done
The trailer for The Great Beyond at CinemaCon is still unavailable to view, but reports of the footage at CinemaCon describe an H.G. Wells quote opening the proceedings,
“There is, though I do not know how there is or how it may be, another world out of sight and sound.”
Retro machines and electronics begin to boot up as Powell, Ortega, Mackey, and Jackson briefly appear on-screen. The trailer ends with someone turning a key in a mysterious machine. As much as this sounds like a scene that could have come in Super 8, Abrams says this film will be a mashup of genres (via Variety),
“I didn’t want it [The Great Beyond] to just be one thing, not just a thriller or a mystery or a love story or sci-fi. I wanted it to be a bit of all of those things…”
Abrams’ movies before this one have not dabbled in cross-genre storytelling. Mission: Impossible III was strictly a spy film; Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, The Force Awakens, and The Rise of Skywalker are quintessential science fiction and space operas. Even Super 8 is a homage to the Spielberg science fiction adventures of the ’80s and ’90s.
Abrams likes to pick a lane and stay in it. The Great Beyond appears to have a different, wider scope. Making a film that draws from multiple genres and stories is a more difficult task than coloring within the lines of one. We’ll have to wait another year to see if Abrams succeeded in his self-challenge or even if the film is as cross-genre as he claims.
Abrams’ First Movie Since The Rise Of Skywalker Has Some Making Up To Do
It will be over seven years since Abrams directed a film when The Great Beyond comes out in 2027, and his last film, The Rise of Skywalker, left a bad taste in critics’ and fans’ mouths if reviews are to be believed. The Star Wars property has struggled for years, maybe even since The Return of the Jedi, but all that blame can’t be put on Abrams’ shoulders.
Still, he didn’t do much to help the state of the franchise with the final film in the sequel trilogy. The Great Beyond could be Abrams’ chance to show that Rise of Skywalker was a one-time slip rather than a sign of where his interests have taken him.
