JJ Abrams’ “comeback” vehicle started production back in May 2025 in London. He’s currently deep in post-production on this VFX-heavy project, but might potentially be released this year.
Abrams’ film, which previously went by the working title “Ghostwriter,” and is set up at Warner Bros., now has an official title. A WGA filing, crediting Abrams on the screenplay, cites the film as being called “The Great Beyond.”
We don’t know much about the specifics of this film, other than that the cast includes Glenn Powell, Jenna Ortega, Emma Mackey, and Samuel L. Jackson. No plot details have been officially revealed, but there have been rumors, via Jeff Sneider, indicating it’ll be an ’80s throwback inspired by “The Last Starfighter.”
The plot for “The Great Beyond” reportedly tackles “an author of popular fantasy novels who reveals that the mythical world he’s known for creating is actually real, sending the lead character (Powell) on a quest.” The previous title (“Ghostwriter”) makes sense in that context.
Suffice it to say, Abrams is coming back to directing. He hasn’t helmed a film in seven years. He’s also had a few TV projects get canned and has mostly been producing—if even that. Recently, the UK’s Telegraph claimed he was in “director’s jail.” He’s about to get bailed out on this high-budget fantasy, which could very well make or break his directing career.
Abrams is the creator of acclaimed shows such as “Felicity,” “Alias,” and “Lost.” He then “graduated” into film, directing “Mission: Impossible 3,” “Star Trek,” and “Super 8,” among others. He was even being dubbed “the next Spielberg.” Things haven’t worked out that way, and he’s now looking to make a comeback.
I should note that Abrams also has another film in the works, this one starring Dwayne Johnson, written by Zak Penn, and sounding very similar to the meta, genre-hopping tropes found in Penn’s “The Last Action Hero.”
