JJ Abrams has lifted the lid on the meeting that persuaded him to [uuid=a262baf8-5bdd-47e0-8fa6-0beeb96f8aec]take the job[/uuid] directing Star Wars Episode VII.
And the filmmaker has credited producer Kathleen Kennedy with changing his mind about the prospect of taking on the biggest franchise in sci-fi.
He told The Hollywood Reporter: "I learned first hand how incredible and persuasive she is.
"The thing about any pre-existing franchise - I'd sort of done that - but when I met with Kathy, it was suddenly very tantalizing."
And Kennedy, the producer placed in charge of the Lucasfilm empire buy new owners Disney, explained that one of the biggest draws for JJ was that Michael Arndt and [uuid=ec2de4be-3e73-4c13-b31b-73ccd735d802]Lawrence Kasdan[/uuid] had already been recruited as writers.
She said he "was flipping out when he found out that Michael and Larry were on the movie already", and added: "JJ was just on the ceiling when I walked out the door."
But she stressed that he still had reservations about taking the job, especially regarding the impact on his involvement with the Star Trek movies and on his family life.
"If there was any pause on JJ's part, it was the same pause everybody has - including myself - stepping into this," she said. "Which is, it's daunting."
The comments from both Abrams and Kennedy are part of a longer profile of Kennedy on THR.