It’s no secret that J.J. Abrams is a huge fan of ‘Star Wars’, so without a doubt it’s a dream come true for him to be chosen to helm the first film in the new franchise under the Disney banner. Because of his work on ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’, he’s being forced to vacate the director’s seat for the follow-up to ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ and solely take a producing role. Yet, fans are accusing him of jumping ship just because he favors one over the other. However, the filmmaker maintains that that is not the case.
In an interview with Tavis Smiley for PBS, Abrams repeated that he has become a ‘Star Trek’ fan because of his work on the newest movies and assured fans that there’s still room in his heart for both franchises because they are so different from each other:
“That’s crazy. I would say this: as someone who has become a late in life Trekkie, I really think there’s room for both these things. It’s funny because ‘Star Trek’ in some ways informs ‘Star Wars’. We did ‘Star Trek’…my love of ‘Star Wars’, the energy of it and sort of the comedy and rhythm of it I think affected ‘Star Trek’. They’re such different worlds though. The stories, the characters, the universes. One is sort of our future, much more science based in theory. ‘Star Wars’ is like a fairy tale that happens to take place in space. They’re very different beasts.”
For the rest of the in depth interview that touches on the creative process, the state of Hollywood and diversity, and much more, check out the video below:
What do you think about the notion of J.J. Abrams “jumping ship” from ‘Star Trek’ to ‘Star Wars’? Are you okay with him having his hands in both franchises? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
