Star Wars: The Force Awakens - 13 Things We Learned From The Press Conference

5. ...Probably Because Abrams Is Such a Fanboy

As the production has developed, it has become very clear that JJ Abrams is the right man for the job, if only because he has the kind of appreciation for the brand that will make him unlikely to ruin it entirely:

"This is a project that I felt incredibly lucky to be asked. I speak for all of us when I say this is not a job. The process of this movie, to a person on the crew or the cast, this was not a job. It was something that felt like true passion. I honestly feel honored to be a part of this crew."

As a mark of his awareness of and commitment to the source, Abrams also worked with Lawrence Kasdan returned to a major reference point for George Lucas when he made the originals:

"The movies of Akira Kurosawa have always influenced me. When JJ and I were working, we kept referring to that. We also talked about other movies we loved and the ones that influenced the first Star Wars, like Flash Gordon, John Ford movies."