Page 58 - Star Wars Insider (Special Edition 2020)

“THE ORIGINAL

STAR WARS

TRILOGY IS FUNKY.

IT PUTS ON A SHOW.”

time, but it’s great to be back working with
This page: Former Kathy. When George and Kathy decided to
art director, Norman reignite the saga, they came to talk to me
Reynolds, and former about writing some of it.
producer Robert Watts,
reunite with Kathleen When did you first meet J.J. Abrams?

Kennedy and Lawrence I had met J.J. about five years before all this
Kasdan on set at started, at a charity event in Hollywood. He
Pinewood Studios! was very friendly and I was happy to meet
him. I had a wonderful, positive impression
of him. After I became involved in the new
saga, the question came up as to who was
going to direct Episode VII. Kathy Kennedy
was very generous in including me in that
process. When we went to talk to J.J., who

was everybody’s first choice, I started to get

to know J.J. for the first time. That was in
early 2013. We all went to his office and

talked about what a new Star Wars would be
like. His ideas about what should happen in
the next trilogy were like mine, and I was
enthusiastic about the idea that he’d direct it.
We were all thrilled when he agreed to do it.

Do you remember the key elements that

needed to be in the film?
In talking to J.J. Abrams, right from the start,
there was a meeting of minds about the

58 INSIDER