Abrams wrestled with Skywalker saga’s ending
Director Abrams says he’s ‘grateful’ to have worked on the end of the beloved sci-fi saga
PASADENA, CALIF. Filmmaker J.J. Abrams is trying to choose his words carefully. As the director and co-writer of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, he knows there is perhaps no other movie that has come saddled with such high fan expectations as this one — the final Skywalker chapter.
So at the Pasadena Convention Center on a cool California day, his job is to say a lot, but leave most of the film’s surprises for audiences to discover themselves. Endings, in general, frighten him. But finishing a storytelling arc that began in 1977 with Star Wars: A New Hope was both exciting and scary.
Abrams spoke about bringing an end to the Skywalker saga, his favourite Star Wars moments and whether he’ll ever return to a galaxy far, far away.
Q The Rise of Skywalker is an end — both of the nine-film Skywalker saga and this most recent Star Wars trilogy. Did you feel like you had to throw everything you had at this film? A The trick of doing a movie like this for us is being aware of, intellectually and emotionally, the weight of this thing. It’s not just the ending of nine films, 42 years in the making — it’s a movie that’s the end of one trilogy. There were so many things that we inherited and yet those are the very things you have to accept and not concentrate on. If you start to think, “What’s the studio going to think? What about the fans?” ... if you start to panic and get desperate about what you must do, there’s no way the story will have any buoyancy or levity ... it will also inherit that burden.
In a way, your job is to be aware of all that stuff, but then make a film that is ideally delightful and fun and resonant and moving and emotional. Those are things that I feel are nearly impossible if what you’re concentrating on is, “Oh God, I only have this one shot, I have to throw it all in.”
Q Colin Trevorrow was originally supposed to do Episode IX. How much did his ideas change after you took over?
A When we came on, we started from scratch . ... It reminded me a little bit of when Damon Lindelof and I did the Lost TV pilot. We had 11 weeks to write it, cast it, shoot it, cut it and turn it in. There was almost no time and we had to go with our gut.
Q Did you always know how it would end?
A When I was working on (2015’s) The Force Awakens, we talked a lot about what each of the (future) stories meant and how we’d describe them. So we had some ideas. Then when Rian Johnson did Last Jedi, he took the story to places that were surprising and unexpected . ... Weirdly, in thinking about where I wanted to go in theory — because I was not supposed to do this movie — I thought after that movie, Rey’s story can still kind of go in the direction we originally talked about.
Q You have a lot to wrap up. How are you paying fan service to all of these stories — Kylo, Rey, Finn, Poe — and answering all the questions fans have?
A I don’t know how to answer that except to say, you’ve got to see the movie. That was something we really wrestled with. How do we do justice to each of them? Part of what I do is, I imagine if I’m playing each of these characters, how do I get to have the moment where I go, “I know why I’m here.” You’ve got to make sure you’re doing the best you can for all the characters. I’m sure people will find fault with one thing or another — that’s a given. But I do believe that the story, the heart, the emotion of this movie, and certainly the scope and spectacle of it is something I’ve been incredibly proud to be a part of.
Q For me, I always get a kick out of that scene in The Force Awakens when Rey pilots the Millennium Falcon for the first time. Do you have a favourite Star Wars scene?
A I think it’s when we first meet Han Solo in A New Hope. The meeting of that character is so beautiful. It’s funny, it’s lovely and it’s rich. That scene comes to mind because it’s so damn good.
Q All the characters are great, but do you have one that you are most partial to?
A It’s hard to beat Han. The sense of humour of that character, plus his swagger and his vulnerability ... make him hard to beat. But anywhere you look, you will find someone to love in Star Wars.
Q Star Wars isn’t going to end — more films and TV shows are on the way. Could you see yourself returning to this universe?
A I feel incredibly grateful to have been part of this not just once, but twice. I look forward to seeing whatever comes next because I’m sure there are going to be some great stories.
You’ve got to make sure you’re doing the best you can for all the characters. I’m sure people will find fault with one thing or another — that’s a given.
Q Your name has bubbled up on a lot of different things. We’ve heard you linked to some superhero movies, so what’s next for you?
A There are a couple of projects I’ve written — there’s a show at HBO that I may or may not direct — (and) there are a couple of other film ideas that we are talking about, but I’ve literally been, (until recently), working on finishing this movie. So it’s not like I’ve had a whole lot of time to develop other things. I’m looking forward to people seeing this movie and getting one really good night’s sleep. Then I’ll focus on what’s next.