J.J. Abrams Reveals if It Was Harder to Start or End the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy

The final chapter in the Skywalker Saga is hitting theaters in under a month now, and filmmaker J.J. Abrams told Entertainment Tonight that he felt more pressure making this movie than he did reviving the franchise in 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens. During a group interview with the cast of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Abrams had no doubts which part of the job was harder when Star Wars expert Ash Crossan posed the question to him. Yeah, it's tough to come on board and bring the most beloved film franchise maybe in history back to "life" after years away...but that's nothing to having to close the book on it.

Abrams, who is no stranger to high expectations and having to try and stick a difficult landing with projects ranging from LOST to Star Trek, weighed in on why it was harder bringing the 40-year-old story to a close.

"Not starting it," he said. "Wrapping it up for sure, because there's nine movies, and the responsibility is much greater. Starting something isn't necessarily easy, but its' far easier because the possibilities of what happens are everywhere."

Oscar Isaac jokingly compared it to the relative difficulty of starting a fire versus putting one out, and Abrams jumped on board the gag, arguing that it is actually not an entirely bad analogy given the way stories can spin into high gear.

"It's been a gift to work with these people again. To get to deal with these characters again. I didn't think that was going to happen for me," writer-director J.J. Abrams, who relaunched the Star Wars franchise with 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens, previously told The Star Wars Show. "This ending, which is such an important thing for all of us, by far, has been the most challenging thing I've ever worked on."

Set some time after the Rian Johnson-directed Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the ninth episode is "an adventure the group goes on together," Abrams said earlier this year during the film's presentation panel at Star Wars Celebration Chicago. "One of the great things about getting to work on the movie is the dynamic between all of the characters. They're amazing together, and it's something I'm excited for you all to see."

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Naomi Ackie, Richard E. Grant, Keri Russell, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams, and Carrie Fisher.

Are you excited about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker? Let us know how you feel about it in the comments. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens in theaters on December 20th.

Star Wars is also headed to the Disney+ streaming service. The Mandalorian is now streaming on DIsney+. A show following Obi-Wan Kenobi is in the works, with Ewan MacGregor returning to the role. A series about Rogue One's Cassian Andor is also in development.