The Force Awakens Director J.J. Abrams Set One Requirement For The Film

Franchise creator George Lucas knew that the “Star Wars” prequels wouldn’t meet fans’ expectations. But he soldiered on anyway, making them the way he wanted and in accordance with his own unique, sometimes alienating, visions. The prequels lacked some of the original trilogy’s big thrills and twists, and their convoluted plot mechanics were probably a little too political and intricate for kids’ movies. All that, plus the tragic arc and any of the grievances older series fans brought to the movies (whether it was performance quibbles, the early digital photography, or wonky greenscreen) meant the trilogy ended up getting a largely mixed reception at the time.

With Lucas ceding control of the franchise to Disney, the company was given a blank slate on which to redeem the series. Whatever “Episode VII” would be, it would be a reaction to those complaints and that divisiveness. Reports from that period suggest that directors like David Fincher, Brad Bird, Jon Favreau, and Matthew Vaughan were up for the gig at one point or another, but Abrams ended up with it.

If the typical complaints of the prequel trilogy, then the most recent films in the series, largely came down to the movies being boring, overly complicated, and talky, dry, and flatly directed, Abrams was one director who would go in the opposite direction. With his prime directive with co-writer Lawrence Kasdan being on “delighting” the audience, he would handle the project with energy and elegance. And there wouldn’t be a single scene set in the Galactic Senate Hall.