J.J. Abrams did not want to join the Star Wars universe because of his past experiences working on another popular sci-fi franchise.

J.J. Abrams holds the rare feat of having helmed two or more movies in two of the most popular sci-fi franchises of all time. Abrams first helmed the reboot of the Star Trek films. He later went on to direct two installments in the sequel trilogy of Star Wars movies. However, Abrams’ Star Wars foray almost did not happen.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams considered turning down the franchise (Credit: Lucasfilm).
During an interview, Abrams reflected on his work in the Star Wars franchise, revealing that he initially considered rejecting the offer to helm a film in the space opera series. While Abrams ended up directing Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the filmmaker hinted at why he considered not joining the franchise.

J.J. Abrams Suggested He Did Not Want to Make Star Wars: The Force Awakens

J.J. Abrams directed Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which marked the start of the sequels era of the space opera franchise. He later returned to direct the final installment in the sequel trilogy, The Rise of Skywalker.

J.J. Abrams did not want to join Star Wars because of his past franchise films (Credit: Variety | YouTube).
In the behind-the-scenes documentary, The Secrets of The Force Awakens, Abrams revealed that he was initially unsure about directing a Star Wars movie. He said (via /Film):

When Kathy Kennedy called and asked if I’d be interested in directing this film, I fully intended to say no.

Abrams added that his previous work, especially the experience of directing sequels of popular franchises, was the primary reason he did not want to join the Star Wars franchise.

However, Abrams also stated that he previously knew Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, which impacted his eventual decision. Furthermore, Abrams also hinted that the opportunity to make a Star Wars movie was simply too good to pass on.

J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Movies Might Be Why He Considered Rejecting Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Abrams made a name for himself as a writer and director, primarily working in the television space. However, Abrams made his directorial debut in 2006, with the third installment in Tom Cruise’s critically and commercially successful Mission: Impossible franchise.
J.J. Abrams’ hinted his work on rival franchise Star Trek affected his decision (Credit: Paramount Pictures).
He later directed 2009’s Star Trek, serving as a reboot of the sci-fi franchise, which started as a television series. Abrams returned to helm the sequel to the film, 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness, with both movies receiving generally positive reviews.

Aside from the 2008 sci-fi thriller Super 8, Abrams’ feature-film directorial career has mainly comprised sequels and franchise-filmmaking. Therefore, it is understandable that Abrams might not have wanted to join another mega-hit franchise.

Ultimately, it is safe to say that Abrams’ work on the Star Trek franchise, which bears some resemblance to Star Wars, was the reason the filmmaker considered not joining the latter film series. Eventually, Abrams ended up directing Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which remains the highest-grossing film in the franchise.

Star Wars movies are streaming on Disney+ while Star Trek films can be found on Paramount+.