In a lengthy interview with
Playboy, acclaimed director J.J. Abrams talks about his next project: Disney/LucasFilms'
Star Wars: Episode VII, which is targeting a 2015 release. Of course, he won't let any story or casting details, but he does talk about being in control of both that franchise and
Star Trek simultaneously. He then reiterates prior comments about originally turning down
Star Wars, before being convinced th take the job, and he also confirms that he will be seeking feedback from series creator George Lucas. Finally, he confirms that directing
Star Wars hasn't officially taken him out of the running to helm a third
Star Trek film, saying that it's still a possibility. For much more from Abrams (in which he discusses
Cloverfield 2,
Stat Trek Into Darkness and an
Alias movie), click the source link below.
On Being In Control Of Both The Star Trek And Star Wars Franchise: "It is preposterous. Ridiculous. Completely insane. It really is. ... I mean, I get it. The worlds are vastly different. Honestly, that was why I passed on Star Wars to begin with. I couldn’t imagine doing both. But when I said that my loyalty was to Star Trek I was literally working on finishing this cut. I couldn’t even entertain another thought. It was like being on the most beautiful beach in the world and someone saying, “There’s this amazing mountain over here. Come take a look.” I couldn’t balance the two, so I passed on Star Wars."
On Originally Passing On Star Wars: Episode VII Before Finally Accepting The Job: "It was a wild time. I was near the light at the end of the tunnel with my work on Star Trek. I felt I needed a bit of a breather, actually. But then Kathleen Kennedy [the new Lucasfilm head who oversees Star Wars] called again. I’ve known her for years. We had a great conversation, and the idea of working with her on this suddenly went from being theoretical and easy to deny to being a real, tangible, thrilling possibility. In the end it was my wife, Katie, who said if it was something that really interested me, I had to consider it."
On Being A Fan Of Star Wars, Approaching It And Asking George Lucas For Feedback: "Here’s the thing. I try to approach a project from what it’s asking. What does it need to be? What is it demanding? With Star Wars, one has to take into account what has preceded it, what worked, what didn’t. There are cautionary tales for anything you take on that has a legacy—things you look at and think, I want to avoid this or that, or I want to do more of something. But even that feels like an outside-in approach, and it’s not how I work. For me, the key is when you have a script; it’s telling you what it wants to be.
"As with anything, because these are very different worlds, they shouldn’t feel the same aesthetically. They can’t. You’re right. But again, I don’t apply aesthetics first and fit a movie into that aesthetic. If I had come into Star Trek with those eyes, I would probably have been paralyzed. The advantage here is that we still have George Lucas with us to go to and ask questions and get his feedback on things, which I certainly will do. With Star Trek it was harder because I wasn’t a Star Trek fan; I didn’t have the same emotional feeling, and I didn’t have Gene Roddenberry to go to. But I came to understand the world of Star Trek, and I appreciated what fans felt and believed about this universe and this franchise."
On Whether Or Not Star Wars Will Keep Him From Directing Star Trek 3: "No. I would say it’s a possibility. We’re trying to figure out the next step. But it’s like anything: It all begins with the story."
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