J.J. Abrams reveals the script for the next 'Star Wars' after 'The Force Awakens' is already written
Every aspect of "The Force Awakens" has been meticulously planned and crafted to fit an already established history and a plan for future sequels. Having the already familiar backstory helped determine the plot in an "organic" way, Abrams said.
"We didn't have to come up with a backstory that would make sense; it's all there," he said. "But these new characters, which 'Force' is very much about, find themselves in new situations - so even if you don't know anything about 'Star Wars,' you're right there with them. If you are a fan of 'Star Wars,' what they experience will have added meaning."
But with Abrams not coming back to direct the forthcoming "Episode VIII" (the entry after "Force Awakens"), transparency with director Rian Johnson and producer Ram Bergman was important. Abrams also revealed that the script for "VII" is written.
"I showed Rian an early cut of the movie, because I knew he was doing his rewrite and prepping," he said. "Withholding serves no one and certainly not the fans... That will be his movie; he's going to do it in the way he sees fit. He's neither asking for nor does he need me to oversee the process."
When collaborating on the story for "The Force Awakens," Abrams said he and Lawrence Kasdan, who also co-wrote "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi," focused on the film both as filmmakers and as fans of the series.
"That was really the only requirement Larry and I imposed on each other: The movie needed to be delightful," he said. "It was not about explaining everything away, not about introducing a certain number of toys for a corporation, not about trying to appease anyone. This has only ever been about what gets us excited."
Abrams also credited Disney for allowing him to keep secrets about the film held close, which has spawned numerous fan theories. But the director also understands the importance of teasing material and actually pushed for the short teaser that was released last year.