Star Wars director JJ Abrams turned down the film when it was first offered to him because he did not want to be seen as "the guy who does sequels".

When the 49-year-old behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens was initially offered the movie by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, he said he felt it was not the right move for him.

He told The Times magazine: “The reality is, I didn’t want to be the guy who does sequels.

“When Kathy called I did something I don’t normally do, which is look at my career. I really did feel like ‘That sounds like the wrong idea’.”

But Abrams, who was behind hit films including Star Trek and Star Trek: Into Darkness, talked the offer over with his wife and eventually agreed to take on the role of directing the biggest movie of the year.

Speaking of his approach to The Force Awakens, he said: “The fundamental thing was what do we want people to feel.

“And the answer was that I wanted people to feel the magic of what Star Wars was: the sense of romance, the sense of heart, the loyalty, the sweetness, the friendship, the unexpected scenarios, the discoveries the characters make, the sense of impossible scale made possible.”