Photo by Joichi Ito (Creative Commons Attribution Licensed)
Photo published with photographer’s permission.
Director J.J. Abrams will be directing Star Wars: Episode VII, but he’s been a lifelong fan of the saga. In fact, his common appreciation for Star Wars led him to working with his regular collaborator Damon Lindelof, not to mention the endless homages to the films in his various projects such as Lost and Fringe.
Here’s a selection of quotes from Abrams from previous StarWars.com interviews about the impact Star Wars has had on his life and career.
THAT FAMOUS BANTHA TRACK T-SHIRT (2006):
“When Damon Lindelof walked into my office for the first time and he was wearing not just a Star Wars shirt but an original Star Wars shirt — and I could tell it was his, not just some vintage purchase,” Abrams adds. “I immediately knew that we were long lost brothers. It was the first thing that made me say, ‘Okay I love this guy.’”
HIS FIRST STAR WARS MEMORY (2006):
“My first Star Wars memory was seeing the words ‘Star Wars‘ in Starlog Magazine and thinking it was a weird title,” Abrams recalls. “I remember seeing an early concept poster by Ralph McQuarrie for the movie. It stuck in my head even though I didn’t know what it was — but it looked important. My second memory is actually seeing it in the theater on opening day in Westwood at Avco Theater and never being the same again.”
WHY STAR WARS CONTINUES TO RESONATE (2006):
“It was absolutely the first film that struck a cord and that resonates to this day,” Abrams continues. “I think it’s because everyone relates to being stuck in your life and feeling like something extraordinary is just around the corner. To have something scary and tragic happen, like what happens to Luke’s aunt and uncle, is such an engaging story that could take place on a farm in the middle of the U.S. and be just as compelling. And the fact that he ends up being the key to preventing this galactic takeover is kind of an amazing wish fulfillment. I think this taps into a universal desire that we all have to find meaning and purpose that is larger than what we ever could have imagined.”
HOW STAR WARS HAS INFLUENCED HIM (2006):
“I don’t know how many times in developing stories I have referenced the archetypes of Star Wars,” Abrams says. “As a fan of Joseph Campbell and the use of myth in storytelling, you could argue that it is a classic paradigm but it is the common language among all of us because we are all so familiar with the Star Wars canon. It’s hard to remember breaking a story for an episode of a show, whether it was Lost, Alias or even Felicity and not feel like there was some way to reference the love triangle you felt in Episode IV or the struggle of good and evil that you have seen in all six of the films.”
“Star Wars is probably the most influential film of my generation,” Abrams adds. “It’s the personification of good and evil and the way it opened up the world to space adventure, the way Westerns had to our parents’ generations, left an indelible imprint. So, in a way, everything that any of us does is somehow directly or indirectly affected by the experience of seeing those first three films.”
ON SEEING REVENGE OF THE SITH (2006):
“I was probably most affected by the end of the film when we are returned to some of the sets on the ship that we see in the first Star Wars movie, Episode IV,” Abrams says. “I was surprised by how good it felt to be home. Given all of the scope and scale of everything that had come before, there was something incredibly satisfying and warm and fuzzy about being back in those white hallways that sort of rekindled the feeling you had when you saw the Stars Wars universe for the first time.”
ON THE STORY OF ANAKIN SKYWALKER (2006):
“Obviously, his fall was inevitable and you learn that from the early films,” Abrams says. “You know it’s going to happen and watching it happen is tragic. What’s fascinating to me is that I grew up in a time when my friends related to Luke and now, my kids relate to Anakin. There is an interesting social comment there — that when I grew up the hero was an optimistic young neophyte who becomes this hero and the new generation’s hero is a strong-willed, ambitious and ultimately vilified protagonist who is misled and, for reasons of ego and heartbreak, literally becomes the very villain that my generation fought against.”
WHERE HE’D LIKE TO SEE STAR WARS GO NEXT (2008):
“I feel like the world of Star Wars has gotten to be so vast, not just in terms of the various mediums that Star Wars occupies, but because of the visual possibilities that technology has allowed and Industrial Light & Magic is so remarkably capable at creating. My favorite thing about Star Wars is the ability to tell an incredibly personal, intimate, and emotional story against a backdrop of conflict and battle that’s planetary and massive. What I would love to see is a story about characters that I am desperately entertained by and definitely care about, and keep that story as focused as possible and make more of that than the pyrotechnics of it all which to me is what makes Star Wars so brilliant. If it’s a TV show, that’s terrific. If it’s animated I’m all for it. If it’s a radio show or a video game or an online experience — whatever it is I would love to discover in this vast universe some new characters that make me feel the way that Luke, Leia, and Han Solo did.”
STAR WARS CHARACTERS HE WISHES COULD HAVE A BIGGER STORY (2008):
“It’s funny how in a weird way sometimes by demystifying a character it takes away from some of the fun that you felt about that character. It takes the mystery out of it. Sometimes a character is more interesting when you don’t know everything about them. Even someone from my generation — and I’m ancient compared to so many of the Star Wars fans that are out there — for me the character of Darth Vader was always so compelling because you were putting together all these thing in your head and making all these assumptions that to get to know Anakin as much as we ultimately did, changes the way you consider Darth Vader. It’s crazy to me that my kids relate to Anakin; which to me is criminal because I grew up believing Vader is a bad guy. I related to Luke and Leia and Han Solo. You don’t relate to Vader! I still think it’s wrong to be on Anakin’s side. So I guess there’s no one character I can point to and say that I want to know more about him or her, it’s just that Star Wars is so vast it would be great to find characters that have that level of emotional intimacy.”
WHAT HE’D LIKE TO SEE STAR WARS DO ONLINE (2008):
“Star Wars used to have a very defined focus as to what it was and who the characters were, now it’s so vast that it encompasses so much more. It’s not unlike how Star Trek was when it first came out and you knew all the characters, but now when you ask about it you have different answers from different generations of fans. So the possibilities are endless even though so much of Star Wars has been explored in the novels and elsewhere. Online is the perfect place to have something like an interactive Senate where fans could represent different worlds and debate in character. I could see a giant Star Wars debate team tackle all the issues that the prequels dealt with and having characters from the movie moderate the discussion. ”
ON DOING A LOT IN THE SCI-FI GENRE (2008):
“I don’t ever look at genres of movies, but instead characters I’d like to see. There are so many genres that are already out there. If you want to go see a Western, or a ’70s period piece, it’s available. The reason behind almost anything I work on is because it’s not out there right now and I want to see it.”
Tags: episode vii, j.j. abrams
This interview convinces me that J.J. Abrams is the perfect person to direct Star Wars: Episode VII.
It’s not an interview.
WHAT THE HELL!
I almost threw a tantrum when i heard about disney owning star wars and when i heard about episode VII i i set my nearest DISNEY STORE on fire.
I never watched Star Trek, but I’m thinking about borrowing now. He seems to know a lot about Star Wars, and appreciate it! He mentioned the books comics and video games, which is comforting for an EU fan like me; he mentioned animated series which is awesome being introduced threw the Clone Wars. I love what he said about Anakin and the “Online senate game,” which is great news that he doesn’t disregard the prequels, because they are great pieces of art! It seems like J.J. Abrams is the perfect pick for the next Star Wars movies! Now if you don’t mind, I’ll be hunting down some friends to borrow their Star Trek DVDs, I can’t believe I just said that……….
The Force is in good hands!
Indeed it is.
Grab yourself a copy of the last Star Trek – after seeing what an awesome job he did with it, there’s a good chance you’ll REALLY be excited for a SW movie from this man
I agree. I’m not much of a Star Trek fan but that movie was amazing. When i found out the news that he would be directing i was very relieved and feel that my beloved Star Wars will be in good hands.
This article convinces me that JJ Abrams has liked Star Wars since at least 2006.
some of the interviews were from 2006
he talks about seeing the movie come out for the first time
Maybe you should read the earlier quotes again…where he says he saw the original on opening day (in ‘77) and was never the same…”The most influential movie of his generation”…seeing Damon with an original t-shirt and instantly connecting…
I’m So excited for this news I think J.J Abrams will do a great job directing episode 7. This is a new era for The Wars. STAR WARS IS FOREVER!!!!!!
I am so happy to hear how much of a true fan he is. For those of us that grew up on the OT, lets rejoice that one of us, an original fan, is directing Episode 7! His appreciation of all things Star Wars will hopefully mean he will try to integrate various EU sources wherever possible.
I do not care how talented Mr. Abram’s may be, and whether or not the upcoming Star Wars films succeed or fail is entirely beside the point. The fact is, no one man should be given the directorial responsibilities for two of the biggest Sci-fi franchises of all time. It may have been a safe bet on the part of Lucas, as I have no doubt that Abram’s take on the saga will be infinitely more superior than his recent blunder, but the decision essentially robbed another, perhaps less prominent director, of a golden opportunity. J.J. Abram’s is being handed an inordinate amount of previously established film series, and I believe this to be extremely unfair to other directors who are trying to break into the industry.
I don’t think anyone wants to see the Star Wars universe handed to someone who wants to break into the industry. George Lucas was able to do so at a young age because he wrote it, not knowing how huge his “little space movie” would get.
I (and many others) enjoyed Mr. Abrams’ take on the early days of Capt. Kirk and his crew. He’s obviously a fan. A lot of love went into that movie. I look forward to seeing the second installment.
I’m sure a lot of love (and then some) will go into his take on Episode VII. I also read that Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine, Toy Story 3) has already written a treatment for the movie. Keep in mind that Mr. Lucas will be creative consultant on the next three episodes. He’s not just turning it loose.
Maybe you should care. J.J. Abrams didn’t pursue the directorial position. He was handpicked by Lucasfilm. And there is no written law against anyone getting two of the biggest sci-fi brands. Nothing unfair there. Star Wars is a huge entity maybe its not the type of material for other directors who are trying to break into the industry.
Since when has fairness ever been a factor in anyone in Hollywood’s decision making? If fairness was part of it then Gilliam wouldn’t have to scrimp and scrounge and beg to get his movies made. This was numbers. Ironically, JJ probably wouldn’t have been hired if not for the success of Star Trek.
Perhaps, however, if you were Disney, would you hand the keys to their biggest money maker to a rookie director? I dont think so. His work on Star Trek is irrelevant.
This will be exciting to see how all of JJ Abrams wonderful enthusiasm develops into a new vision of Star Wars. Cannot wait! I was never worried about him and his talent. I think we will do a wonderful job to renew our glee and geekdom into Star Wars and its well-branded products. There is a lot of ground to cover, but ti will be good ground.
Reading this makes me feel even better about Abrams directing. He’s a fan of Star Wars. Not just the originals, not just Empire, but the whole frickin story, I-VI. He’ll do an awesome job.
J.J. Abrams is the perfect choice for Star Wars: Episode VII. I have a hunch George was interviewing J.J. years ago when this picture was taken and J.J. didn’t even know it. Watch the “Star Trek” DVD with the commentary on and the special feature “A New Vision”, and you’ll get even more insight on how well J.J. Abrams understands Star Wars. My hope is he and writer Michael Arndt will create a story with the sequel trilogy that once again makes you look at the original trilogy and prequel trilogy in a new light, and extends George Lucas’ grand vision. I love that J.J. was one of the few that gets the story of Anakin and appreciated the prequels.
JJ Abrams only popped up visibly on my radar after I watched a History Channel documentary about Star Wars (which also had, amongst others, Newt Gingrich, Nancy Pelosi and Kevin Smith). He spoke eloquently about SW, and I became interested in his work. Star Trek really showed what Abrams could do, although the idea of a Lens Flare Wars take on Luke et al did have me worried. Having read this….. the franchise is in good hands. He’ll be mindful of those of us that have followed the Expanded Universe time line and I am sure elements of it will be incorporated into the new films. Being an EU nut myself and having read almost 100 EU novels and played all the games, I’m sure JJ will do his best to honour what Star Wars really means to fans like me.
Though I want to see Episode VII like tomorrow, I hope he will be able to make the 2015 date. May the Force be with J.J.
I like the comment about Revenge of the Sith. I had that same warm and fuzzy feeling.
Anyway, I said it once, and I’ll say it again: I’m okay with J.J..
I really happy that J.J is doing this but thats not what im worried about…………Im worried about what the story is going to be, cause i hope they dont tell the story of what happens after the death Star 2 blows up, cause being a huge star wars fan i really hate the rest of the story in the book after return of the jedi. If they are going to do another star wars film, do a different story, like Revan and malak, or the great war during the gold age of the Republic, i dont i hope its good, im never gonna give up on star wars just hope theres a good story. Good luck J.J Abrams
I’ve liked JJ Abrams since my wife and I were hooked on Alias. Glad to see that he is also a big SW fan. However, I remain cognizant that Michael Arndt is writing the script based on GL’s story treatment and that GL will still be a creative consultant. So, it’s still GL’s story…just like ESB and RotJ.
You can really feel his appreciation for SW in his quotes and you can see it in his previous work. In SUPER 8 you can spot some SW merchandise cameos and that film really made you feel for the characters. Can’t wait to see what he does with the Skywalker’s and co
I was gitty to find out J.J Abrams was picked for SW7 and figured he was the only choice since day one of announcing the new trilogy. I am happy to see Abrams and Michael Arndt attached to the project. I do hope with these two involved in the project that they don’t forget the EU storys and at least the characters that came from them such as Boba Fett (still being alive), Mara Jade, Ben Skywalker and All of the Solo children….. I have been a huge fan of Star Wars for as long as I can remember and I am sure I wont be disapointed when the new saga begins.
i think this will be a good movie. when will it come out did he say?
I believe that it is due to come out in 2015
I don’t think he’s got the talent he screwed Star Trek what if he messes up this to and I cant believe they are letting direct the new Star Trek movie!
You think he ruined Star Trek? Have you seen it? More than once? Its an awesome movie, and wonderful to look at, lens flare and all. And he wasnt a Star Trek fan before – so imagine what a Star Wars fan of that talent could do when unleashed on a 21st century version! Exciting!
More lens flair!
I have a feeling that Abrahams hates the prequels… he’s being very diplomátic about it. I really hope he gets card blanche to tell a great story… and I really hope he get’s the OT spirit back into the movies.
[...] of seeing those first three films. – director J.J. Abrams on the influence of Star Wars, via…Share This: Pin ItComment Below: /**/About Christopher Parr Christopher Parr, Founder & [...]
It’ll be all well and good until he has some Palpatine at the moment of his death use the dark side to create a shift in time allowing him to go back and destroy Degobah and Tatooine before Anakin Skywalker was even born.
It will really open new story possibilities, right?
[...] what direction the Star Trek director will take the beloved sci-fi franchise. Star Wars Blog has collected some of Abrams’ comments from the past six years, reminding us of the deep appreciation that the director has for Star Wars [...]
I don’t think that getting JJ Abrams on board was a good idea..He is not a Star Wars fan that much is true, and I recall him slating Star Wars a few years ago stating ‘ Star Wars is no longer any good as there are too many writers diluting the Star Wars universe’ (I paraphrase, but it was essentially similar). I am in despair over this decision, I hope that 7 is good, I really do..
You have miss read. He loves Star Wars, he is a genuine fan. If he ever said anything bad about the novels, then it would have been from a fan-point of a view. Go and re-read the interviews bud, he gushes with love for the movies.
[...] what direction the Star Trek director will take the beloved sci-fi franchise. Star Wars Blog has collected some of Abrams’ comments from the past six years, reminding us of the deep appreciation that the director has for Star Wars [...]
Please accept my apologies for my poor English. I am part of a creative team that never had the joy of working on any decent project because of economic crisis in our country.
In my humble opinion, what made Starwars a huge success was the fact that it contained some funtamental truths that apply to the human kind, such as presenting man as part of an alive universe or the eternal conflict of good and evil that seem to apply as the basic law through out life in all universe (consult biology laws). Then it comes to human relations, such as Father and son, brother and sister and such.
Now when it comes to the movie script concerning the characters, it is crucial to be very cautious as to how they will act and what they will say. One wrong sentence is enough for the character to loose all his statu and become hollow and cheap. Unfortunately the latest trilogy had several such mistakes. A Jedi using the force is conscious of his actions, this means he is calm and ready to embrace the outcome of a duel or every day situation, while a Sith is quite the opposite. Don’t show me Obi one in anger killing darth maul. A Jedi in anger have lost the battle and the Sith have won. The tension expressions on a Sith apprentice face can be anger or arrogance while in a Jedi apprentice can be grief and sorrow but with the vital element of trying to deal with acceptance. A Jedi or a Sith master is a different thing and please don’t show me a Jedi master start his duel by saying “the party is over”. That’s dead wrong!
[...] what direction the Star Trek director will take the beloved sci-fi franchise. Star Wars Blog has collected some of Abrams’ comments from the past six years, reminding us of the deep appreciation that the director has for Star Wars [...]
Another thing that is vital for a movie success is the “fed up effect”. A “fed up effect” happens when in a movie we see too much input of something. For example: remember the duel scene between Obi one and Vader. Lighting up those light sabers had value and this added up to the scene because we had too few scenes using light saber till that time. So a script must be build carefully and smart. It’s a ritual for a Jedi or a Sith to use a light saber, don’t waste it like it’s an every day brawl.
I really really hope to see something good in Starwars VII. Judging from the industry and the latest episodes I’m almost certain it will not be reach in meanings and in solid and intact characters. Please surprise me, I’m honestly looking forward to it…
Jennifer Garner should be Jaina. Her relationship with Abrams makes her perfect for the job. With that being said, I want to be Fel.
É um crime um Trek dirigir um filme da categoria Star Wars, mas vamos deixar o homen trabalhar e ver no que vai resultar
[...] parece que um artigo feito pelo Star Wars Blog pode nos dar uma boa ideia do que esperar. No texto, que traz uma lista de comentários que Abrams [...]
I hope JJ will be smart and will choose Chloë Moretz for play the lead role.
[...] See full story on starwars.com [...]
[...] what direction the Star Trek director will take the beloved sci-fi franchise. Star Wars Blog has collected some of Abrams’ comments from the past six years, reminding us of the deep appreciation that the director has for Star Wars [...]
Does anyone have information on how to audition for a character on any of the upcoming Star Wars movies? I’m 19 years old and have been a huge fan ever since I was a little boy. I was Yoda for Halloween for as many years as I can remember. I am now 6″9″ and would love to have the opportunity to try out for the part of Chewbacca. I think the original actor stood 6′7″ or 6′8″. I’m a Freshman in college, but my parents think if I can get this opportunity, I should go for it. I know it would be very difficult, but you have to start somewhere. Thanks for any help!
cool
Special effecfs are great but not only that what made the movie a new hope great was darth vader and luke the story and the special effects
Why not ask the fans what they like to see thatway you sure of a good movie
I loved how J.J. Abrams tackled Star Trek, but I’m not a serious trekker, so how he updated the franchise was fine. I am, however, a little more skeptical about how he chooses to handle Episode VII. Are we going to have lens flares all throughout the film? There are so many hands in the pot right now, that it’s a little hard to not have some reservations about the next three films.
[...] fans can dish out! In all honesty, though, I’m pretty happy about this choice. On Wednesday, the Star Wars blog ran a post with quotes from previous interviews with Abrams, highlighting his long history of love [...]
Abrams’ strength is that he can replicate, and enhance, what makes something great. I’m not sure if he has a style of his own apart from being able to faithfully create replicas of styles. If you saw Super 8 and Star Trek, you know what I mean. He created a perfect Spielberg movie from 1978. He distilled all the contradictions, inconsistencies, plot holes and immense fun of the original 1960s Star Trek into his 2009 version. He will create a Star Wars that is faithful to the style of the original three movies, and what’s more, he will probably make it better. Let’s just hope he casts unknowns as George did all those years ago…
I think as being a fan of star wars,J.J.Abrams is a good choice for being the director of Star Wars Episode VII,because he loves
Star Wars and he will know what to do.
I’m not really sure what to think yet. I guess I won’t know until I find out how Mr Abrams feels about Jar Jar–in my opinion, only a true Star Wars fan could love such a silly (sometimes annoying!) character–I’ve always loved him just because of how excited Mr Lucas was about that character
From what he said about Ani, I hope he isn’t too much of an Anakin hater–yeah, Anakin does turn to the Dark Side, but he eventually comes back–making him not the worst bad guy (that was Sideous!) but rather, the best story of redemption ever.
I really hope this was a good choice, but honestly I’ll never be completely happy with anything if George Lucas’s name isn’t up there at the front of the credits…oh, how things have changed…
My best wishes to all of the lovely people working on Episode 9!
i will just see it for the old cast coming back form the first 3 movies
Both star wars and star trek are joined recently. mostly to through through liacas film’s ILM. but ithink most of us are overlooking somthing important the star trek reboot was not just a rebbot. it was a reamagining of the entire star trek universe. some people liked it some peaple didnt. i personaly felt it read more like a chariture of the origanal star trek. is the JJ’s plan for star wars a new aged ,nasatlgic but none the lest techno modern version of the universe we all love. pre pakaged for this new generation.
If you have someone like Jack Nicolson to play in a the movie
then you know you got a hit movie don’t overlook the actors roll
they are important for a movie to be a succes look at all does
other movies (not starwars) that had great special effects but didn’t make it to the oscars
And people have a little fate in the new director and be happy
about the fact that something comming out at all.
JJ ABRAMS has his hart on the write place
If you have someone like Jack Nicolson to play in a the movie
then you know you got a hit movie don’t overlook the actors roll
they are important for a movie to be a succes look at all does
other movies (not starwars) that had great special effects but didn’t make it to the oscars
And people have a little fate in the new director and be happy
about the fact that something comming out at all.
JJ ABRAMS has his hart on the write place
ME THE FORCE BE WITH HIM!
dont f**K up
I think were being bamboozeled by some slick Disney retoric
a carfuly crafted meidia spin to sell star wars fans on bill of goods that the studio has finacial interest in . georg lucas had the courage to make the prequels . to tell his story and let the puplic discide if it made noney or criticle aclaim. can we trust Dusney or abraims to have that kind of conviction about telling the story. true star wars fans Know that george lucas had story treatments for at least 12 films.
Soooooo true! I’ve always loved that George didnt really do things to please people or make merchandise–he just told the story like it was.
George Lucas to direct episode 7. It is the only way