Saturday, May 16, 2009

J.J. Abrams will not direct Lost series finale

Ever since the beginning of the show, it has been assumed by many fans that Lost creator J.J. Abrams (director of this summer's Star Trek, among others) will be returning to the show in season six to direct that final episode of everyone's favorite show.

In a recent interview with TIME Magazine, Abrams denied this speculation. "It would be an honor to go back and direct the finale," he said, "The reason I won't do it is that Jack Bender, who is the directing producer on the show, has essentially earned the right to do whatever he wants. He should be directing the finale."

It makes me quite happy that Lost will not have some extravagant guest director for its series finale, but will instead will be keeping it in the family. Just a small piece of news I felt was worth sharing.

24 comments:

  1. i agree. leave the directing up to the guys who been keeping it together this whole time. it reminds me of CSI Vegas throwing in Tarantino to direct an episode. Not surprisingly, it turned out to be very Tarantino.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well, he could always direct the opening episode of Season 6, or one of the key episodes in the middle. I agree Jack Bender should direct the finale, he deserves that, but I wouldn't say JJ won't return at all just yet.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, I wouldn't say that either. But there was a lot of (unfounded) certainty on the part of fans that Abrams would return to direct the last episode.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Android CyberthorpeSat May 16, 01:26:00 PM EDT

    I want to know if he will even be co-writing the final episode/s??

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yea I agree, they should work together on the final episode.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Completely off the subject, but did anyone see Matthew Fox on Kimmel? His hair was back to its season 1 shaved look.

    I like that look SO much better than whatever crazy hair he's developed post season 2.

    I hope this means for season 6 he'll be back to the shaved head.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank God it's not Stephen Williams. His episodes are always turds. He is after all responsible for giving us such gems as EARTH: FINAL CONFLICT, CROSSING JORDAN, and LAS VEGAS.

    I think we can all agree his "ben tornado" was pretty bad.

    ReplyDelete
  8. he's also responsible for everyone's favorite episode with Nikki & Paolo.

    oh well. at least they give him the less important episodes so bender can focus on the real heart of the show.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I actually thought that Expose' was pretty good. I agree that Stephen Williams is not the best and I agree that Jack Bender should be the one to direct the series finale. I mean, after all, he was the one who just directed the phenomenal Season 5 finale and other episodes in the past that the audience has always enjoyed watching. Indeed, I hope Giacchino continues his fantastic music. No other show can match Giacchino's eerie, suspenseful, emotional music that has so many variations.

    ReplyDelete
  10. You really think Stephen Williams is that bad?

    He did:

    Season 1:

    All the Best Cowboys have Daddy Issues

    Do No Harm

    Season 2:

    One of Them

    Lockdown

    Season 3:

    Not In Portland

    Greatest Hits

    Season 4:

    There's No Place Like Home Part 1

    Season 5:

    Because you Left

    316

    Dead is Dead

    Follow the Leader

    ---------------------

    All of which were great episodes, so I have NO idea what you're talking about.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm a great fan of lost, and I think Jack Bender would do a great job in directing the finale. What I think JJ should do is to write some eps, because the development of the story has slightly been broken down. And I think the creator should finish his own series. That would be the best ending to me.

    ReplyDelete
  12. JJ should not have any role in season 6. The guy hasn't had anything to do with the show in 4 years. He doesn't know what the hell is going on. It seems fairly obvious to me that a lot of the show's mythology was put in place from Season 2 on, so really, would he know where everything is going? I don't think so. The show has done just fine without him. Stick to the movies JJ.

    ReplyDelete
  13. @Kurosaki:

    Yes, some of those episodes were good, but I credit that to the writers and actors and music.

    Season 5 seemed to continue and quicken the pace that Season 4 had already escalated, but in Williams' hands, it felt rushed, not important. The episodes you cited from Season 5 were in my opinion, the weakest.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Umm. Have we forgotten that JJ is one of the creators of the show AND directed the pilot? He's not some "extravagant guest director". Why would you describe him in such a way? If it weren't for his clout then Lost would not have made it on the air in its current form. ABC would have created a really bad castaway drama but instead they went to JJ and he said yes but I want to do something different. How rude you to speak of him in such a way. Brats. One and all.

    ReplyDelete
  15. extravagant guest director? Not of family?
    JJ Abrams??
    Sure you know who he is? :D

    ReplyDelete
  16. Didn't I read somewhere that M. Night Shymalan will be directing the finale?

    ReplyDelete
  17. That was an April Fool's Joke

    ReplyDelete
  18. Listen, we all love Jack Bender, but JJ coming back to direct the finale would be huge, exciting, and thematically appropriate (show's reflective nature, ending where we began). ABC would be foolish to let this one go, and JJ's merely being modest, not as the title suggests 'refusing' to do the finale.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I don't think the talk about "honor" has anything to do with it. This is about *money*. The pilot was the most expensive episode of the series (and, I think, still the most expensive TV episode produced). Whereas a pilot is critical to the success of a series and a large amount of resources are poured into it, the series finale is going to have the same budget as all the other season finale episodes. Whereas a successfully produced pilot can ensure ad sales for a season or more, ABC/Disney has no motivation to pump a lot of money into a finale episode that isn't going to have substantially larger viewership than a typical episode of Lost. ABC Studios couldn't *afford* to hire J.J. Abrams to direct the finale even if they wanted him--his fee would be too large.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Call me crazy, but I think David Lynch should direct at least one episode this season. His style seems somewhat perfect for the show.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Abrams is absolutely right to say he won't direct the finale. Bender is more responsible for Lost's greatness than many people realise. He's the main guy there in Hawaii. IMO, He should be the one directing the finale written by Cuse & Lindelof.

    That said, his fantastic Pilot was responsible for making Lost the hit it became. He's probably wary of stepping on Lindelof's toes, but I would welcome it if he were to either write or direct any other season 6 episode - possibly the premiere. In my eyes, he's earned that much.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Listen, I love me some JJ (C'monnnnnn Dark Tower!), but his directorial style would seem out of place. Jack is definitely the best one they've got, and I consider him in the JJ/Darlton circle of trust.

    I might be crazy, but I really don't mind JJ not taking an active role in LOST. He got the ball rolling, but I think the guys are doing a pretty good job of getting this thing where it needs to go.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I would not mind JJ coming back for something in season 6 in either directing or writing. After all, he is still credited as executive producer and it is his production company, Bad Robot that is co-producing it with ABC Studios. He still has discussions with Darlton about Lost and worked on Star Trek with Lindelof. He is still connected to the show and would be happy to see him be involved somehow with the final season.

    ReplyDelete
  24. it would be totally appropriate for bender to direct the series finale, but i would wholeheartedly welcome abrams back for the end.

    he directed the pilot (pts. 1 + 2), arguably the series best (my choice is walkabout, barely). and, while i don't like his movies, when it comes to tv, he's JJ ABRAMS. i'm certain that if darlton cuselof wanted him for the finale, which they probably might, he would do it, and without hurting jack bender's feelings-- who is certainly great, and would direct the premiere, one or two in the middle, and the one before the finale.

    and that is how i think it should be.

    signed, a huge lost fan named kevin.

    ReplyDelete