J.J. Abrams: No Midi-Chlorians In ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’


Star Wars fans can begin rejoicing ahead of the release of The Force Awakens, as director J.J. Abrams has revealed that one of the more controversial elements of the prequel films, the existence of midi-chlorians to bring about the Force, won’t be referenced in the new sequel.

Easily one of the most disliked concepts to come out of the Star Wars prequel films, midi-chlorians were explained as a microscopic life form present inside all living cells, which facilitated the existence of the Force, as Screenrant relates. Die-hard fans of the original Star Wars trilogy were quick to express their distaste for the idea, which effectively reduced the concept of the Force to a non-mystic, purely biological phenomenon.

Luckily for those fans, it appears that the midi-chlorians will not return to haunt them in The Force Awakens. During a red carpet interview with MTV News at the premiere of Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Star Wars director J.J. Abrams remained tight-lipped about the new film, though he did reveal some bits of information during a joking Q&A with Josh Horowitz. Among those were the revelation that midi-chlorians are not going to turn up in The Force Awakens, as well as the fact that the film’s runtime is fluctuating as a working cut is currently being refined, as Yahoo News points out.

Elsewhere in the Q&A, Abrams joked about the continuity of the Star Wars universe, while referencing the oft-maligned and difficult to obtain Star Wars Holiday Special. Famously disowned by even George Lucas himself, the holiday special aired only once, but survived in bootleg format for years prior to the advent of the internet. Unique in the Star Wars universe, the special is notable for representing the first introduction of Boba Fett, one of the series’ most popular characters.

Earlier this month, Abrams revealed that he had actually injured himself on the set of The Force Awakens, literally breaking his back during production. When the door of the Millennium Falcon fell on actor Harrison Ford, crushing his leg, Abrams rushed to help along with others, suffering the injury in the process. As the Inquisitr previously reported, the director was forced to wear a back brace for the remainder of filming.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters on December 18.

[Photo by Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images]

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