In a new interview, the 48-year-old director says he's built his own 'little stupid, secret' references into the seventh installment of 'Star Wars'.
- May 8, 2015
AceShowbiz - J.J. Abrams reveals his plans on making references to "Star Wars" history within "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in an interview with Vanity Fair. Abrams tells the magazine, "I think that the key is-and whether we've accomplished that or not is, of course, up to the audience-but the key is that references be essential so that you don't reference a lot of things that feel like, oh, we're laying pipe for, you know, an animated series or further movies. It should feel like things are being referenced for a reason."
He adds, "What was incredible about 'Star Wars', among other things, was that in that first movie Vader could've been his father, but he wasn't, you know. Leia could've been his sister, but she wasn't. You didn't really know what the Empire was up to exactly. You didn't really understand what it meant that there was a Senate or the Dark Times or any of the references, and yet you felt the presence of all these things and you understood because it was all being referenced in a way that allowed you to fill in the blanks, and that's a very powerful thing."
Abrams says he's built his own "little stupid, secret" references into "The Force Awakens" while trying to prioritize the flow of the story rather than including obvious elements from previous films. "What I realized early on was it was all about point of view-meaning it's not like you just objectively throw in a star field or a spaceship or a desert planet or whatever the thing," he shares, "The question is, who is that person in that experience? Why does it matter to them? What are they desperate for or afraid of?"
He adds, "That, to me, has been the constant struggle: to make sure that none of these things are treated like either they're a museum piece and we're trying to honor them or they're gratuitous and thrown in because, well, it's a Star Wars movie so you've got to put these things in. Everything has got to be essential to the characters in the film"
In the interview Abrams also says he almost regrets taking one Easter Egg out of the popular teaser trailer of "The Force Awakens". "I have a thought about putting Jar Jar Binks' bones in the desert there. I'm serious! Only three people will notice, but they'll love it," he shares.
