J.J. Abrams was offered the chance to direct Star Wars 8, but turned it down. Lucasfilm wasted no time putting together the Skywalker saga’s sequel trilogy, recruiting Rian Johnson to write and direct the film that would eventually become The Last Jedi way back in 2014. When Johnson was hired for that job, Abrams was in the middle of principal photography on The Force Awakens, tasked with the gargantuan responsibility of bringing back the Star Wars franchise and validating Disney’s $4 billion purchase of Lucasfilm. Because the release dates for the films were only two years apart, the studio had to move quickly finding creative teams.

It’s no secret Abrams was hesitant to take on The Force Awakens, initially passing on the job before reconsidering. At the time, he believed Force Awakens would be the only Star Wars movie he’d direct, but he obviously returned to the franchise to complete the sequel trilogy (and the saga) in next week’s The Rise of Skywalker. But well before Abrams came onboard for the finale, Kennedy was eyeing him for the trilogy’s middle chapter as well.

In a piece in The New York Times, it’s revealed Kennedy approached Abrams to see if he’d be interested in helming Star Wars 8 and Star Wars 9. The timing of that question could not have been worse, as Abrams was in the midst of handling numerous pre-production responsibilities on The Force Awakens, including casting and screenwriting. Looking back at it, Abrams told the Times, “I was like, ‘Are. You. Crazy.?’”

Considering Abrams didn’t jump at the opportunity to make The Force Awakens at first, it isn’t surprising that was his feeling when asked about the other two films. Directing any major studio tentpole is obviously a huge undertaking, but The Force Awakens was a completely different beast. That film marked the return of Star Wars after a 10-year hiatus and kicked off a new trilogy that needed to be successful to lay the groundwork for the franchise’s future. As someone who has a keen understanding how much Star Wars means to people, Abrams was undoubtedly feeling the pressure to deliver on The Force Awakens and wanted to keep his attention squarely on the task at hand. At the time, he probably couldn’t even comprehend directing another Star Wars installment.

Of course, Abrams eventually came back to Star Wars for The Rise of Skywalker (though that took some convincing too), but Star Wars 8 was always an unrealistic possibility. With Disney wanting a 2017 premiere for that film, Abrams likely would have had no time off between projects, running the risk of burnout. After all, Johnson was working on The Last Jedi script while Abrams was completing The Force Awakens, so it’s difficult to see how it could have been feasible for Abrams to direct all three trilogy episodes (barring any changes in the release schedule). It certainly would have been interesting to see how Abrams continued his story in his take on Star Wars 8, but he clearly didn’t mind sitting that one out and watching someone else do the work.

More: Star Wars 9 Pays off The Last Jedi’s Most Disliked Moment

Source: The New York Times

  • Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker Release Date: 2019-12-20