While unprecedented might be a strong word, J.J. Abrams has certainly been Hollywood’s magic touch for bringing franchise properties back to life. The director and producer brought “Star Trek” into the 21st century, reignited the globe’s interested in the saga taking place in a galaxy far, far with with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” stepped into the world of “Mission: Impossible,” while also being behind one of the biggest shows of 2016 in “Westworld.” One could argue that in recent years, Abrams has become synonymous with big brand filmmaking, but it looks like he’s done playing in that pool.
Chatting with People (via Slashfilm) at the Golden Globes, Abrams revealed that while he’s grateful for the opportunities he’s had to work on such huge properties, he wants to move away from that in his future projects.
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“You know, I feel incredibly lucky to have gotten involved in things that I loved when I was a kid,” he said. “In fact, even ‘Westworld,’ which we’re here for tonight, is one of them. But I don’t feel any desire to do that again. I feel like I’ve done enough of that that I’m more excited about working on things that are original ideas that perhaps one day someone else will have to reboot.”
Indeed, Abrams sees reboots are not unusual nor something that will disappear from the cinematic landscape.
“…film is a fairly young medium and there are stories that have lasted for centuries,” Abrams added. “And it’s not uncommon, I think, for stories to be retold — whether it’s at campfire or on film, but I think you always have to be additive. You can’t just be remaking something just for the sake of remaking it.”
It’s a thoughtful observation from the director, and it seems pretty clear whatever he does next won’t involve Vulcans or lightsabers.