Discussion Past Star Wars veterans offered words of praise from their direct experience with Abrams

Sorry if this been posted, but I haven't seen it around yet. I'm not a big Abrams supporter, but these guys are making it a little easier to try and accept him:

Visual Effects Supervisor Dennis Muren, ASC, whose credits include the original Star Wars trilogy as well as landmark films such as E.T. and Jurassic Park, also worked with Abrams on Super 8. "He puts everything he has into his work," said Muren. "He totally immerses himself. He's got such a visual eye, which is so important to the Star Wars films. It seems that a lot of the same things that were in George when he made the first Star Wars films are also in J.J. I think he's going to fit into the other movies perfectly, with the energy that J.J. has. We're kick-starting Star Wars again with dynamite. It will knock people out, including the people who get to work on it. I think it's a great choice."

Ben Burtt, responsible for such iconic Star Wars sounds as Darth Vader's breathing, R2-D2's beeps and the classic lightsaber, has worked with Abrams as sound designer and sound editor on Star Trek and Super 8. "J.J represents the next generation of filmmakers from those that were making Star Wars when I started," said Ben Burtt. "When he was a teen, he was a fan of Star Wars, and a great deal of his love for movies came out of his reaction of that first Star Wars film. You feel that he's already invested so many years in it, and he's going to propel it forward in a new way. In other words, you're having a fan who has grown up and developed tremendous directorial skills finding himself at the steering wheel to take the franchise into the next stage. I feel like I'm there watching history turn over from one era to another."

Matthew Wood, who served as supervising sound editor on Super 8, similarly grew up as a Star Wars fan before working on the films through the prequels. "Working with him, it was so obvious to me that J.J. and I have the same nostalgic love of that era. Now we have someone from that generation who is going to be at the helm of the Star Wars franchise that I've known and worked on, so it's a great circle. Just seeing what he did with Super 8 and capturing those moments, and knowing what was so special about that era, it's going to speak to a new generation of audience as well."

(source: starwars.com)

Nice post. I hope this will silence the worrywarts. Probably not, but we have a visionary director in the chair and that's what matters.

They have to say nice things about their bosses.

Indeed, Lucas surrounded himself with yes-people.

There are very few people who believe Abrams is a bad choice as Ep VII director. Sadly, they all post on this forum.


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There are a core of fans that will never be happy with anything released post ROTJ. I don't even consider them fans anymore, just adult-children with deeply hurt feelings who need a time-out

There's fans that are not happy with anything post-ESB.

I've seen Abram's version of Star Trek.I'm okey with that.with Star Wars,he's got big shoes to fill. I wonder if Leonard Nimoy can direct Episode 8.

This.
Look at it again, all ye haters, for it is the truth.

Would that mean Episode VIII would be a quest to save the Aiwha of Kamino?

Garbage! Because they don't share your likes or dislike's? I think you may need a time out.

I think the real fear here is that the new movies won't "feel" true to the OT. I reserve judgement for VII VIII and IX until I see them each individually. But I tense up a little when I hear of "new directions" for a well established saga.

My chief complaint about what Lucas has done in recent years isn't so much that the prequals were merely entertaining where the OT crossed into the realm of true "art" if you will, but that he has tried to make his old ideas conform to his new ones, and has digitally edited those old films to comply.

I think that's the fear of some of the fans here. That Abrmas will disregard nearly four decades of stories to exercise his artistic license.

I was not happy with anything released post SW Special Editions 97 (except the Clone Wars cartoons, both2d and CGI, they're cool, and games/books all EU stuff)and i'm excited for Abrams being the director of the new star wars movie, your argument is invalid!

The story has been written for him, he has to bring it to life whatever way he sees fit. I can't see KK & co allowing him to take major liberties with the story, which is still Lucas' story after all.

Agree. I can't believe the number of people worried about JJ rebooting, using time travel and messing with the story.
None of the above are going to happen. Period.

I agree. I don't honestly know if I'd want Abrams to be responsible for the story to Episode VII, but as a director, he's an excellent pick.