J.J. Abrams was hosting the 10th annual US-Ireland Aliiance’s Oscar Wilde Awards last night in Los Angeles, where actress Carrie Fisher was being honoured. During an interview with BBC News the director spoke about the highly anticipated new Star Wars movie and surprisingly revealed that actually some rumors about The Force Awakens are true…

(February 20, 2015)

From BBC News:

“I can’t wait for you to see it. It’s been a blast working on this and luckily we have an incredible post-production team,” Abrams told the BBC News website on Thursday. “There are always challenges as you go but it’s been a complete kick to put this together.” Asked about the secrecy surrounding the script, Abrams added: “We did the best we can to preserve the story for the audience, but it doesn’t always work. “There are a ton of rumours – some true, some false. But I’m grateful for everyone who would want to read a spoiler because it means that they care and want to see the movie. “I know what it feels like, as an enormous Star Wars fan myself.”

Carrie Fisher brought along her best friend, the French Bulldog Gary, to the event where she was presented an award honouring her lifetime career. The award was presented by Stephen Fry:

“Everybody who knows her well would say she’s witty and brilliantly clever,” he said. “She’s had a huge career as a script doctor that most people wouldn’t know about. She’s written on and tweaked the screenplays of huge movies over the past 25 years.” Fisher’s film career includes When Harry Met Sally, Hannah and Her Sisters and The Blues Brothers. Her novel, Postcards from the Edge, was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Shirley MacLaine and Meryl Streep. Her memoirs include Wishful Drinking which she also performed in a one-woman stage version. Fry said: “She’s charted her own adventures and misadventures with mental health and drugs in a way that was really pioneering, and very influential for a lot of people, myself included.”

Well, it’s good to hear that the rumors are not that off-based as Oscar Isaac suggested a few weeks ago. And kudos to Mr. Abrams for staying positive while discussing the level of spoilers surrounding his new movie.

December 18th can’t come quick enough!

*pictures by Getty Images

UPDATE!

In another interview Abrams praised Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson and said that it is “a joy” to work with him

From Herald.ie (via MagnarTheGreat):

He had nothing but praise for Gleeson (31) whose role in the upcoming Star Wars – The Force Awakens is top secret. “He is such a brilliant actor. I cannot tell you how lucky we are to have him. He is so good and so smart. He’s an utter joy to work with,” Abrams told the Herald last night.

UPDATE 2!

Abrams spoke about Carrie Fisher’s daughter Billie Lourd. Also Fisher revealed that she still hasn’t seen The Force Awakens teaser.

From E Online:

“Billie Lourd, come on! She came out of nowhere, right?” Abrams joked to E! News.

Asked how it’s been working with both Carrie and her daughter, J.J. had nothing but praise to share for the 58-year-old actress.

“When you invite Carrie, they just all come,” he quipped before adding, “It’s great. I mean she is spectacular and as funny as you could imagine and a real treat to work with as well.” “I’ve known Billie since she was six or something,” the director said of the 22-year-old beauty. “So to see her…I can’t believe that she’s this young woman who’s clearly going into the stratosphere.” During the event’s green carpet, E! News also had a chance to chat with Fisher, who admitted she has yet to see the latest Star Wars trailer—”That makes me bad!” she exclaimed—after revealing how she helped her daughter prepare for her big acting debut.

“I gave her acting lessons,” the mother of one, who walked the carpet with her French bulldog Gary, said before joking, “I don’t act well, I give acting lessons—this is an ad.”

UPDATE 3!

(February 23, 2015)

J.J. Abrams also briefly discussed his experiences filming in Skellig Michael (via joe.ie):



