Whether you’re a Trekkie, a Ring-fanatic, a Whovian or in any other sect of science fiction fandom, chances are pretty good that you’ve heard of the somewhat controversial but very exciting plans for the next batch of “Star Wars” films.

With all the hysteria and rumors circulating, very few official facts have been released. In a Disney and LucasFilms press release on Jan. 25, it was confirmed by company officials that J.J. Abrams, film-titan and director of 2009’s “Star Trek,” will be taking the reins and directing the highly anticipated “Star Wars: Episode VII.”

The announcement of the production of the 7th installment of “Star Wars” came when George Lucas, creator of the “Star Wars” franchise, sold LucasFilms Ltd. to the Walt Disney Company for $4 billion.

Lucas seems to feel that this was less of a business transaction, though the price tag was quite heavy, and more of a pop culture heirloom, stating, “It’s time for me to pass “Star Wars” on to the next generation of filmmakers.”

Though fans were no doubt disenchanted with Lucas’ work in the prequel trilogy, many are even more concerned with the decision to have Abrams put his directorial spin on the ageless series.

When asked what could be said about the upcoming film, Kathleen Kennedy, the current brand manager of the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” franchises after Disney’s purchase, said with a chuckle, “absolutely nothing.”

Despite Kennedy’s comment, several actors have come forward about wanting to be part of the franchise. Most notable is Tom Hiddleston, who is famous for his role of Loki in last year’s blockbuster hit “The Avengers.”

Original cast members Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are rumored to appear in the anticipated film as their original characters, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia, respectfully.

Whether or not this will be a bust is yet to be seen, but it would seem that middle-aged Hamill would still be a far better Luke than a Disney-backed Zac Efron.

As with anytime something is announced about “Star Wars,” there are the optimistic fans and the very pessimistic ones. With the announcement of J.J. Abrams as director, the optimistic fans look forward to his interpretation of the film and are excited to see a new generation of “Star Wars.”

Conversely, the first thing the pessimists pointed out was that he can’t have both “Star Wars” and “Star Trek¸” as the two fan bases have had extreme rivalries since the inception of the original trilogy.

There is no doubt that the Lucas directorial days have reached an end and that this new interpretation of the saga will do its best to stick to the roots of the iconic trilogy.