An inventive screenwriter and television producer who transformed himself into one of Hollywood's biggest feature directors, J.J. Abrams created some of television's most watched shows while simultaneously making huge blockbuster movies. Though he had a rather inauspicious start writing the scripts for "Taking Care of Business" (1990) and "Regarding Henry" (1991), Abrams made his first dent in the cultural zeitgeist with the hit drama "Felicity" (The WB, 1998-2002). Abrams truly began making his mark with the spy drama "Alias" (ABC, 2001-06), which turned lead actress Jennifer Garner into a star and helped resurrect a foundering ABC network. He went on to help create the cult phenomenon "Lost" (ABC, 2004-2010), a mysterious sci-fi thriller wrapped inside a stirring character drama that attracted a loyal audience, all of whom tried to decipher the previous night's episode. When he left the series during the height of its run, Abrams ventured into feature film directing with the well-received "Mission: Impossible III" (2006). He also paid homage to the classic '80s films of his hero Steven Spielberg with "Super 8" (2011), which audiences and critics hailed as one of Abrams' most engaging efforts in a career already rife with crowd-pleasing entertainment. It was his reboot of the famed franchise "Star Trek" (2009) that launched his blockbuster career in earnest and foretold of even greater things to come, including the 2013 announcement that he landed the coveted director's job on "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (2015), which went on to overtake "Avatar" (2009) as the highest-grossing film in history (not adjusted for inflation). In September 2017, Abrams' return to the Star Wars universe was confirmed when it was announced that he would replace the departing Colin Trevorrow as writer and director of 2019's "Star Wars Episode IX."
Highest rated movies
Photos
J.J. Abrams
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
100% | | Music by John Williams | Self | - | 2024 |
97% | | Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes | Producer | - | 2024 |
83% | | The Blue Angels | Producer | $2.5M | 2024 |
91% | | Aporia | Executive Producer | $21.6K | 2023 |
75% | | The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse | Producer | - | 2022 |
69% | | Lou | Producer | - | 2022 |
51% | | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | Director, Screenwriter, Producer | $515.2M | 2019 |
97% | | Love, Antosha | Self | $19.9K | 2019 |
82% | | Overlord | Producer | $21.7M | 2018 |
98% | | Mission: Impossible - Fallout | Producer | $220.1M | 2018 |
22% | | The Cloverfield Paradox | Producer | - | 2018 |
91% | | Star Wars: The Last Jedi | Executive Producer | $620.2M | 2017 |
No Score Yet | | Opening Night Fan Event Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) | Executive Producer | - | 2017 |
100% | | For the Love of Spock | Self | - | 2016 |
86% | | Star Trek Beyond | Producer | $158.8M | 2016 |
91% | | 10 Cloverfield Lane | Producer | $72.1M | 2016 |
93% | | Star Wars: The Force Awakens | Director, Screenwriter, Producer | $123 | 2015 |
94% | | Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation | Producer | - | 2015 |
67% | | Showrunners: The Art of Running a TV Show | Self | - | 2014 |
83% | | Infinitely Polar Bear | Executive Producer | $1.4M | 2014 |
84% | | Star Trek Into Darkness | Director, Producer | $228.8M | 2013 |
94% | | Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol | Producer | $209.4M | 2011 |
81% | | Super 8 | Director, Screenwriter, Producer | $127.0M | 2011 |
72% | | Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold | Unknown (Character) | $638.5K | 2011 |
No Score Yet | | Trek Nation | Unknown (Character) | - | 2010 |
57% | | Morning Glory | Producer | $31.0M | 2010 |
94% | | Star Trek | Director, Producer | $257.7M | 2009 |
79% | | Cloverfield | Producer | $80.0M | 2008 |
71% | | Mission: Impossible III | Director, Writer | $133.4M | 2006 |
74% | | Joy Ride | Writer, Producer | $22.0M | 2001 |
0% | | The Suburbans | Producer | $5.8K | 1999 |
43% | | Armageddon | Writer | $201.6M | 1998 |
4% | | Gone Fishin' | Screenwriter | $19.7M | 1997 |
23% | | Diabolique | Video photographer (Character) | $16.5M | 1996 |
48% | | The Pallbearer | Producer | $5.7M | 1996 |
88% | | Six Degrees of Separation | Doug (Character) | $6.3M | 1993 |
54% | | Forever Young | Screenwriter | $55.0M | 1992 |
49% | | Regarding Henry | Screenwriter | $41.0M | 1991 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Beyond: UFOs and The Unknown | Executive Producer | 2024 |
94% | 55% | Batman: Caped Crusader | Executive Producer | 2024 |
100% | 80% | Executive Producer | 2024 | |
78% | 80% | Presumed Innocent | Executive Producer | 2024 |
92% | 78% | Person of Interest | Executive Producer | 2011-2016 2024 |
34% | 86% | Roadies | Executive Producer | 2016 2023 |
79% | 75% | Westworld | Executive Producer | 2016 2018 2020 2022 |
100% | 40% | UFO | Executive Producer | 2021 |
85% | 76% | The Simpsons | Unknown (Guest Voice) | 2021 |
88% | 64% | Lovecraft Country | Executive Producer | 2020 |
77% | 83% | Little Voice | Executive Producer | 2020 |
No Score Yet | 42% | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Guest | 2009 2011 2013 2019 |
88% | 79% | Castle Rock | Executive Producer | 2018-2019 |
No Score Yet | 50% | The Late Show With Stephen Colbert | Guest | 2016 2018-2019 |
No Score Yet | 60% | Nightcap | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2017 |
No Score Yet | 44% | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | Guest | 2015-2017 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 60 Minutes | Guest | 2015-2016 |
83% | 88% | 11.22.63 | Executive Producer | 2016 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Conan | Unknown (Character), Guest | 2012-2013 2015 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Tavis Smiley | Guest | 2015 |
No Score Yet | 57% | Saturday Night Live | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2015 |
39% | 80% | Believe | Executive Producer | 2014 |
67% | 66% | Revolution | Executive Producer | 2012-2014 |
69% | 83% | Almost Human | Executive Producer | 2013-2014 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Colbert Report | Guest | 2009 2013 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Daily Show | Unknown (Character), Guest | 2011 2013 |
90% | 80% | Fringe | Executive Producer | 2008-2013 |
No Score Yet | 64% | Family Guy | Himself (Guest Voice) | 2012 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Late Night With Jimmy Fallon | Guest | 2009 2012 |
60% | 42% | Alcatraz | Executive Producer | 2012 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Lopez Tonight | Guest | 2011 |
39% | No Score Yet | Undercovers | Executive Producer | 2010 |
86% | 90% | Lost | Director, Writer, Executive Producer | 2004-2010 |
42% | No Score Yet | Six Degrees | Executive Producer | 2006-2007 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | What About Brian | Executive Producer | 2006-2007 |
86% | 88% | Alias | Director, Writer, Executive Producer | 2001-2006 |
No Score Yet | 71% | Felicity | Director, Writer, Creator, Executive Producer | 1998-2002 |