— Ch. 1 · The Disney Takeover —
Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
~8 min read · Ch. 1 of 8
In October 2012, the Walt Disney Company purchased Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion. This acquisition marked a seismic shift in the franchise's history. George Lucas had long denied plans to create a sequel trilogy despite discussions about ideas after the original trilogy concluded. He stated that he was unwilling to do more but agreed to turn the project over to Kathleen Kennedy. The new president of Lucasfilm began working alongside Lucas on early story meetings. Lucas provided rough story treatments for Episodes VII through IX to select executives including Bob Iger and Alan F. Horn. These materials were restricted to a small group of trusted individuals within the company.
Lucas later claimed that Disney discarded his story ideas and that he had no further involvement with the film. His son Jett told The Guardian that his father felt torn about selling the rights yet wanted to let go and become part of a new generation. The creative consultant role allowed him to attend early meetings and advise on universe details. However, by November 2015, Lucas recorded an hour-long interview where he admitted Disney was not keen to involve him. He conceded that if he got involved, he would just cause trouble because they would not do what he wanted. He criticized the retro feel of the final product, stating he worked hard to make his films completely different with new planets and spaceships.
The Director And Writers
Several directors were considered for the project before J.J. Abrams was named director in January 2013. Names like David Fincher, Brad Bird, Jon Favreau, and Guillermo del Toro appeared on lists. Brad Bird was reportedly the top choice but withdrew due to commitments to Tomorrowland. Matthew Vaughn dropped out of X-Men: Days of Future Past to pursue the job. Colin Trevorrow and Ben Affleck also passed on the project. Steven Spielberg suggested Abrams to Kennedy after initial rejections.
Lawrence Kasdan worked to convince Abrams to direct the film after the filmmaker initially rejected the offer. Kasdan had co-written The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Michael Arndt wrote the first screenplay while also developing story treatments for the following installments. He participated in a writers room with Simon Kinberg and Pablo Hidalgo. Early drafts featured Luke Skywalker appearing midway through the film. Arndt found that every time Luke entered the movie, he took it over. The writers decided to use Luke as a plot device who would not appear until the final scene. Arndt needed eighteen more months to finish the script which Disney could not provide. Production announced his exit on the 24th of October 2013.
Kasdan and Abrams took over script duties that same day. They planned the story while walking in Santa Monica, New York City, Paris, and London. The first draft was completed in six weeks. Abrams stated the key was returning to roots based more on emotion than explanation. In January 2014, he confirmed the script was complete. Lucasfilm clarified in April 2014 that Episodes VII through IX would not feature storylines from the expanded universe.