7. He’s Already Said He Doesn’t Want To Do It
Shortly after Episode 7 was announced, Abrams spoke to Empire magazine about his name being raised as a potential director for the film. He remarked regarding his declining the eventual offer:
“I quickly said that because of my loyalty to Star Trek, and also just being a fan, I wouldn’t even want to be involved in the next version of those things. I declined any involvement very early on. I’d rather be in the audience not knowing what was coming, rather than being involved in the minutiae of making them.”
So, does this 180 mean that J.J. has essentially eaten his words? He no longer has loyalty to Star Trek? One can readily assume that something in the pre-production process must have swung him considerably – perhaps Michael Arndt’s in-progress script really is that good – but still, if there’s something studios and fans like, it’s a little consistency.
Nobody wants to think that the guy helming the next Star Wars film is going to be a flake or won’t be 110% invested in it; though Abrams has proven himself confident beyond his years in the director’s chair, the pressure of a Star Wars film is something else entirely, as all of the world’s eyes will be on him, which is more than could be said for his Star Trek reboot.
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25 Comments
wow what an incredibly bias article
i see nothing but bias in this article prepare to be wrong what culture
In fairness to Abrahms, he had nothing to do with the ending of Lost or most of the show in general for that matter. Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse were the brains behind it.
I don’t see the bias here, a lot of it is just constructive criticism. Personally I think Abrams can do a great job with Star Wars but I still wish someone else was doing it
Me, me, me, me first. I want to be the first to hammer JJ Abrams.
Jeez, waste of time. All for opinions but this is trivial crap.
The article is titled “Star Wars Episode 7: 10 Reasons J.J.Abrams Will Ruin It” and people are throwing a hissy about it being biased… Really??
If there is any bias in this article, it’s giving too much credit for what was an awful attempt at a Star Trek Movie… this, too, will end in tears…
you suck.
I’m removing your site from my bookmarks. You guys are terrible.
Time will tell I guess.
God forbid the writer actually waits for the film to be made, released and viewed before passing judgement. The good thing about this writer is he never defends himself or his opinions like the other, more respected, writers do. So you can say what you like about him and his writing. Which isn’t very good, by the way.
There’s nothing wrong with guessing what is going to happen to a film before it comes out, game/film writers do it all the time. You can then revisit the article and see what dissapointed you and what surprised you. Whilst I enjoyed the Star Trek film, Abrams’ other work hasn’t exactly put him in the spotlight. Giving him a big name like Star Wars may not actually be a good idea.
So…it boils down to two reasons? He likes mysteries and he may get the tone wrong-way to reach. As for him saying he didn’t want to do it, Christopher Nolan and David Goyer have both stated on numerous occasions their disdain for Superman, and yet, there’s the producer and writer, respectively. I agree with the above-you just want to be the first to jump on the ant-Abrams bandwagon-but coming from a guy whose favorite show is Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I’m not putting much stock in this.
Ill wait for the film to come out first. As long as its not human and everything else CGI then thats a plus
Clearly you guys aren’t familiar with Shaun Munro’s work. I could tell as soon as the article title appeared who had wrote this. Personally I think JJ is the best choice. He has phenomenal talent and impressive track record at giving science fiction fans what they want. I had no intention of watching the first Star Trek film until the rave reviews came out, after watching it I was by no means disappointed. His television credentials and direction are sublime and he pioneers the genre to new heights. My only criticism would be he’s not what I would call a consistent director. ‘Super 8’ was a good example of a film that didn’t really push the right buttons. ‘Cloverfield’, while being a critically acclaimed piece didn’t live up to the hype in my opinion.
Still all things considered, wether you agree with the continuation of Star Wars or not it’s going to happen anyway. So I think if there is an ideal man for the job JJ would get my vote. His connections and experience in the industry are second to none and a ‘fanboy’ like himself isn’t going to undertake the project just to see his name ascend the credits into distant space. I find your lack of faith disturbing.
Very well said, my friend.
Just a note, he never directed Cloverfield. He was the producer on that movie.
He has only directed (in films) MI:3, Star Trek, Super 8 and Star Trek Into Darkness.
Yeah, and an asteroid could hit the set while he’s filming, so let’s not forget that either. Seriously, most of the stuff you have listed here is could apply to anyone who took the helm. Sure, you’ve got a point with lens flare (I’ve no idea why he’s so in love with it) but I don’t think lens flare alone can take Star Wars down, and the rest of this list is… (searching for a nice way to say it) a bit forced.
Well written but pleased stop bashing lens flare! JJA admitted it was OTT.
I agree with all of your points.
If you’ve watched “Alias”, you know that Abrams (plus his team) are basically retelling the same story over and over again, with the same themes and the same ending . (Which is the story of “love conquers all”, “Faith in your destiny defies science” etc.)
These elements can also be traced in Fringe and Lost too. I think he starts by having these seemingly interesting-on-the-surface premises then gradually gets too confused in them and ruins the whole thing.
wow…biased much?
and that bit about the lens flare…. it’s not even as distracting as you would believe it to be.
I think articles like this are not only healthy, they’re needed right now. Personally, as a lifelong Star Wars fan, I damn near threw a party when I heard the news. I love J.J. Abrams, and I think he was as near perfect of a choice as we could hope for… but this is Star Wars. We were let down once, and we may be let down again. These are all valid concerns, and it serves as a gentle tapping of the brakes for all those ready to declare Episode 7 a success. Well done.
Ah, all this lovely optimism! Great job, man!
Prequel haters deserve this mess. They overpraised JJ Abrams and over-bashed Lucas. This is their mess. I am glad Lucas has turned the knife by giving them just what they asked for. Complete garbage. Long live the prequels, and down with JJ Abrams.
I never even considered the Uwe Boll factor. Maybe Shaun is right!