Exclusive: J.J. Abrams Wants The Original Versions Of Star Wars Released

The “Star Wars” trilogy hasn’t been seen in its original form since 1997.

NowThis sat down with “The Rise of Skywalker” director J.J. Abrams mere days after production wrapped on the hugely anticipated blockbuster to get a glimpse into the process of crunching to complete such a colossal film. In our exclusive interview, Abrams discussed the mysteries of “Star Wars’” past and its unknown future in a post-cinema world, his thoughts on the Prequel Trilogy, saying goodbye to “Star Wars,” and what’s next for this fan-favorite director.

The “Star Wars” trilogy hasn’t been seen in its original form since 1997— and director J.J. Abrams is one of many who wants that changed.

“I guess it's what George Lucas wanted, and that's what he did, and so I respect that, although I also feel like there's something about the original theatrical version that was, you know, for so many people [...] the thing they loved as it was,” Abrams told NowThis in an exclusive interview. “And so, you know, it would be great to have that available for a mainstream audience.”

As a director and producer who has helped shape mega TV series “Lost” and films like “Cloverfield,” “Super 8,” and recently “Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of the Skywalker,” Abrams knows what it’s like to want to go back and change your work, but also believes that it isn’t productive to do so only to make minor adjustments.

“For me, it doesn't feel like there's so many things that I constantly feel like, ‘Oh, I wish we'd done this or I wish that.’ But I don't know if, for me, living in a kind of revisiting mindset is forward-moving. It would make me crazy. If I got into that, I think it'd be a rabbit hole I'd never climb out of,” he said.

“It's like, you know, when you watch a little kid draw a picture and they're like, I'm done. And they just know that they're done… .Maybe there's more you could do, more shading, you know. But they did know they're done. And I think that at a certain point, that can be a very healthy thing.”

Abrams had a huge task concluding the “Star Wars” saga with “Rise of the Skywalker” but says he knew that he couldn’t “continue to tinker forever” on the film.

“There is a moment we can go too far and tinkering to perfect something can actually weirdly get in the way of something that, while maybe imperfect, is moving or effective. So I feel like there's no perfect science to it. But I think at some point, you know, that scene, that sequence, that reel... That movie is done,” Abrams said.

“Rise of the Skywalker” will be released on December 20.