J.J. Abrams Talks 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' & Episode VIII

J.J. Abrams poses for a portrait in the upcoming December 2015 issue of Wired magazine.

The 49-year-old Star Wars: The Force Awakens director opened up to the mag about the highly anticipated movie. Here is what he had to share with Wired editor in chief Scott Dadich:

On the one thing the film absolutely needed to be: “That was really the only requirement Larry (Kasdan) and I imposed on each other: The movie needed to be delightful. 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.”

On the authentic passing of time in the film: “It was important that Han Solo be Han Solo but not feel like he’s playing a 30-year-old dude. When you’re 70, you will have lived a different set of experiences. That has to be apparent in who he is. Harrison was required to bring a level of complexity that a 30-yearold Han wouldn’t be required to have. Then there were things like the radar dish.”

On Episode VIII, being directed by Rian Johnson: “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.”

Bigger picture inside…