J.J. Abrams Seeking Record-Shattering Overall Megadeal; Disney and Universal Lead Contenders

Several major Hollywood studios are courting J.J. Abrams, who is looking to land a lucrative megadeal with a big media company, a number of Hollywood insiders told Variety.

Disney, one party wages, is in the pole position since the company has a strong foothold with Abrams thanks to his work in the “Star Wars” universe as a writer, executive producer, and director. He’s currently working on “Star Wars: Episode IX,” which has been billed as a course correction at Lucasfilm after spinoff films like “Solo” failed to meet the label’s high commercial expectations. He enjoys a close relationship with Iger.