We've heard of people needing to get a permission slip from their other halves in order to have a night out with their pals but we didn't think it extended to getting to direct one of the biggest movies of all time.
It's pretty common knowledge at this point that JJ Abrams initially turned down the opportunity to direct Star Wars: The Force Awakens when Kathleen Kennedy first approached him. JJ Abrams has given various reasons when quizzed about it by the press ranging from not wanting to be known as "the guy that does sequels" to being too much of a fan of the series and wanting to enjoy the new movies as such rather than make one.
However the real reason behind his initial refusal has come to light thanks to the man Abrams has been most often compared to throughout his career, Steven Spielberg.
During an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Spielberg revealed that he and Kathleen Kennedy called up Abrams together but were rejected due to a promise Abrams had made to his wife.
"He said, 'I would but my wife won't let me 'cause she doesn't want me to restart any more franchises," Spielberg recalls.
Not one to be so easily deterred, Spielberg invited JJ and his wife Katie McGrath out to dinner where he put the proposition to directly to her.
"I said to Katie, 'I think there's a chance that J.J. could direct Star Wars. What do you think of that?'" Spielberg says. "And Katie turned to J.J. and said, 'That would be amazing. Really?' And I went outside the restaurant, picked up my phone, called Kathy and said, 'When can we meet with J.J.?' And that's how the whole thing began."
Via Mashable
