J.J. Abrams turned down chance to direct 'Star Wars VII'

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LOS ANGELES, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Hollywood writer-producer-director J.J. Abrams says he talked with Lucasfilm about helming the seventh "Star Wars" film, but decided against it.

"There were the very early conversations and I quickly said that because of my loyalty to 'Star Trek,' and also just being a fan, I wouldn't even want to be involved in the next version of those things," Abrams told Empire Magazine. "I declined any involvement very early on. I'd rather be in the audience not knowing what was coming, rather than being involved in the minutiae of making them."

Abrams is the co-creator of TV's "Lost." He has also directed installments of the "Mission: Impossible" and "Star Trek" film franchises.

Lucasfilm founder George Lucas sold the company to Disney this year for more than $4 billion. Shortly after the deal was made, it was announced sequels to the existing six "Star Wars" films are in the works, but no directors have been hired yet for the projects.