Screen Rant

  • J.J. Abrams almost turned down the chance to direct Star Wars: Episode 9. 1 / 7

  • Abrams kicked off the sequel trilogy in 2015 with The Force Awakens. 2 / 7

    Star Wars: The Force Awakens Movie Poster
  • Colin Trevorrow was originally hired to direct Episode 9, but was replaced by Abrams. 3 / 7

  • Abrams was hesitant to return because he felt he 'dodged a bullet' with Force Awakens. 4 / 7

    Kylo Ren, Rey and Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Last Jedi
  • He didn't want to leap headfirst into the fire again and just enjoy the movie as a fan. 5 / 7

    Daisy Ridley as Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens
  • But his wife encouraged him to think on it more, and Abrams changed his mind. 6 / 7

    Adam Driver as Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Last Jedi
  • He was intrigued by ending the story and felt he could make a better movie than Force Awakens. 7 / 7

    BB-8 in Star Wars: The Force Awakens