It's about hope: JJ Abrams on 'Star Wars'

As the Skywalker saga comes to an end with the upcoming release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, director JJ Abrams and lead actress Daisy Ridley took to describing what Star Wars means to them and what they feel about the legacy of the legendary space opera.

Speaking at a press conference on the film in Los Angeles, Abrams said, “We live in a crazy time, a crazy world. Star Wars for me, was about hope, community and bringing people together.”

He also mentioned the pressure of living up to the legacy of George Lucas, who created the franchise all the way back in 1977 with a budget of $11 million, and sparking off a franchise that has since become a cornerstone of pop culture, enduring to this day in the form of books, comics, video games, toys and cosplay, among others.

But to Abrams, what mattered most is the audience that will watch the film. “The thing that mattered to me most is the people who are sitting here. They’re watching the eyes and hearts of the characters. For me, rather than give away themes, I would say that it really is about hope and it's about coming back to a sense of possibility and unity. If Star Wars can't do that for us, I don't know what can."

Daisy Ridley, who plays the light-side Force user Rey, spoke of the idea of causality in the Star Wars universe. "If you took away the space element, the movie is basically just about people trying to figure it out. They are being confronted with really difficult obstacles and the different and moving stories happening across, are all interlinked. Everything has a cause and effect that affects the fate of the galaxy."

She also referred to Abrams as a "fanboy" who wants to make a great film, adding that she hopes the audience will be happy and that it was an 'emotional' moment for her.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is the first of the mainline Star Wars films to release after the death of Carrie Fisher, who died in December 2016, making Star Wars: The Last Jedi her last actual appearance in the franchise, though she does return as Princess Leia Organa for the concluding film.

The film stars Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker and features the return of Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian and Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Sheev Palpatine and releases December 20.