J.J. Abrams

After spending much of the 1990s writing screenplays like ‘Regarding Henry’ and ‘Armageddon,’ J.J. Abrams found enormous success on television, creating, writing, and producing a series of critically acclaimed shows including the college drama ‘Felicity,’ the spy thriller ‘Alias,’ and the hugely popular mystery ‘Lost.’ While he continued working in television, developing shows like ‘Fringe’ and ‘Person of Interest,’ Abrams also moved back to film, where he became one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood. He’s worked on the ‘Mission: Impossible,’ ‘Star Trek,’ and ‘Star Wars’ franchises, and paid homage to director Steven Spielberg with the surburban sci-fi picture ‘Super 8.’ He’s famous for his love of “mystery boxes,” the idea that audiences are fascinated by secrets and surprises, and he markets his movies accordingly.