>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW""
ALREADY IN PROGRESS.
FOLKS, MY NEXT GUEST IS BEST KNOWN AS THE CO-WRITER
OF THE 1997 JOE PESCI AND DANNY GLOVER BLOCKBUSTER COMEDY, "GONE
FISHIN'."
PLEASE WELCOME J.J. ABRAMS.
♪ ♪ ♪ >> Stephen: NO, NO, PLEASE, IT
IS NOT EVERY DIRECTOR THAT PEOPLE LEAP TO THEIR FEET FOR.
>> WHAT AN AMAZING CROWD!
HI.
>> Stephen: HUGE, HUGE "GONE FISHIN'" FANS HERE TONIGHT.
( LAUGHTER ) YOU'VE ALSO WORKED ON A COUPLE
OF OTHER MOVIES SINCE THEN.
>> I HAVE, I HAVE, YEAH.
>> Stephen: AND, YOU KNOW, THE BIG EXCITEMENT IS YOU'RE DOING
THE NEW "STAR WARS" FILM.
YOU'RE DOING EPISODE 9.
>> YUP.
EXCITING.
>> Stephen: NOW, IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND TALK TO THE YOUNG
J.J. ABRAMS.
>> YUP.
>> Stephen: HOW WOULD HE FEEL ABOUT THIS NEWS?
HOW YOUNG WERE YOU WHEN YOU STARTED MAKING FILMS?
>> I WOULD THINK IT WAS A YOUNG CREEPY GUY LYING TO ME.
I WOULD NEVER BELIEVE IT.
I WAS EIGHT WHEN I STARTED MAKING MOVIES.
10 WHEN I SAW "STAR WARS."
CAN I SAY ONE THING?
DO YOU MIND.
I HAVEN'T SAID THIS TO YOU EVER-- HOLD ON, THIS IS
IMPORTANT.
I'M SITTING HERE IN THIS-- I'VE NEVER BEEN IN THIS SEAT.
THIS IS AN UNBELIEVABLE PLACE, AND IT MAKES ME THINK WHAT YOU
CAME INTO, HOW INSANE IT IS THAT YOU CAME INTO THIS JOB-- THE
CRAZY TRIPLE GAINER YOU DID WAS, IT WAS NOT JUST FOLLOWING A
LEGEND IN THIS ROOM.
BUT IT WAS THAT YOU, AFTER "THE COLBERT REPORT," FOLLOWING THAT,
AND YOU SOMEHOW MANAGED TO COME INTO THIS PLACE AND JUST KICK
SUCH ASS.
AND I THINK IT'S AMAZING.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: THANK YOU VERY
MUCH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> IT'S AN AMAZING THING.
>> Stephen: THAT'S VERY KIND OF YOU.
>> Audience: STEPHEN!
STEPHEN!
STEPHEN.
>> MY JOB IS DONE.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I FORGOT WHAT I ASKED YOU NOW.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO TAKE OVER FOR A LEGEND, TO TAKE
OVER A LEGENDARY FRANCHISE.
YEAH.
>> THAT'S AN UNFAIR SEGUE.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: NO, IT'S A TOTALLY FAIR SEGUE.
YOU WERE A LITTLE-- YOU WERE A LITTLE TWITCHY ABOUT TAKING OVER
"STAR WARS."
>> I WAS TERRIFIED AND LUCKILY SURROUNDED BY INCREDIBLE PEOPLE
AND WE HAD A LOT OF FUN AND BEING BACK FOR EPISODE 9 IS AS
SURREAL AS IT GETS AND REALLY EXCITING.
>> Stephen: NOW, YOU KNOW, I CAN IMAGINE, LIKE, WHEN YOU MADE
EPISODE 7 WHICH WAS, AGAIN, THE HIGHEST GROSSING MOVIE OF ALL
TIME, BIGGEST OPENING WEEKEND OF ALL TIME.
THAT'S GREAT, BUT THE-- THE GRAVY, THE GRAVY MUST BE THAT
DISNEY AND GEORGE LUKAS AND THE FANS ARE SO EASY TO PLEASE.
LIKE, ALL OF THEM, NO ONE HAS ANY CRITIQUES OF YOUR WORK.
>> IT WAS SO EASY.
>> Stephen: THERE'S NO PRESSURE.
THERE'S NO PRESSURE AT ALL!
>> BUT THESE ARE THE FANS-- AS SCARY AS IT IS, TO PUT YOURSELF
IN THAT FIRING SQUAD, THE OPPORTUNITY IS ALWAYS BIGGER
THAN THE FEAR.
>> Stephen: CAN I TELL THEM WHAT YOU DID RIGHT BEFORE "STAR
WARS?" >> IF YOU WANT TO.
>.>> Stephen: >> I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU ARE
GOING TO SAY.
>> Stephen: YOU CALLED ME IN NEW YORK ABOUT TWO WEEKS BEFORE
THE MOVIE OPENED AND SAID, "I CAN COME TO YOUR OFFICE AND JUST
DRINK?" YOU CAME TO MY OFFICE-- YOU CAME
TO MY OFFICE AND I POURED YOU TWO GLASSES OF JAMIESON AND YOU
SAID, "I DON'T KNOW, MAN."
>> IN FAIRNESS, I DIDN'T SAY, "CAN I COME TO YOUR OFFICE AND
JUST DRINK."
I SAID "CAN I COME TO YOUR OFFICE AND DRINK."
WE HAD A NICE CONVERSATION.
>> Stephen: WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT EPISODE NINE.
I KNOW SOME THINGS.
IS THERE NEW WEAPON THAT HAVE MORE ON THE HILT?
ARE THERE MORE THINGS?
DOES IT ROTATE?
DOES IT MAKE JULIENNED FRIES?
>> WE HAVE A SCRIPT.
>> Stephen: WHAT!
>> WHICH IS A BIG DEAL FOR ME.
>> Stephen: DOESN'T THAT START SHOOTING THIS SUMMER?
>> ENDS OF JULY.
>> Stephen: YEAH, SO A SCRIPT WOULD BE HANDY.
( LAUGHTER ) OR IMPROV!
COULD WE HAVE THE SUGGESTION OF A TIME PERIOD AND A LOCATION,
PLEASE.
I HEARD GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY, AND A LONG TIME AGO.
BASED ON THAT, A $300 MILLION MOVIE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> I WISH IT WERE THAT EASY.
>> Stephen: WHY NOT, YEAH.
>> HAVING A SCRIPT IN ADVANCE IS SOMETHING I HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN
LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE.
>> Stephen: SOMETIMES IT'S SEAT OF YOUR PANTS?
>> IT'S A LITTLE BIT LIKE THAT.
BUT I'M WRITING THIS WITH CHRIS TERRIO, WHO IS A GENIUS, AND I'M
HAVING A GREAT TIME.
>> Stephen: YOU'VE DONE THE TV, YOU'VE DONE THE MOVIES.
NOW YOU'RE GOING FOR THE BIG BUCKS AND YOU'RE DOING THEATER.
YOU'VE GOT A SHOW ON BROADWAY CALLED "THE PLAY THAT GOES
WRONG" AT THE LYCEM THEATRE.
I'VE SEEN IT.
IT'S HILARIOUS.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: HOW DID YOU BECOME A THEATER PRODUCER?
>> "THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG," IT'S THE LONGEST RUNNING AND
FUNNIEST PLAY ON BROADWAY.
IT'S BEEN THERE FOR ABOUT A YEAR.
I WAS IN LONDON.
WE WERE SHOOTING-- JUST AFTER WE HAD DRINKS -- AND I WENT AND SAW
THIS PLAY AND I HAD NEVER LAUGHED THAT HARD EVER.
AND I MET THE PRODUCERS AND I SAID, "LISTEN, IF YOU EVER WANT
TO MOVE IT TO BROADWAY, IF I COULD BE OF ANY HELP, THAT WOULD
BE GREAT."
WE STAYED IN TOUCH.
WE GOT AN AMAZING PRODUCER, KEVIN MACULLOM INVOLVED.
>> Stephen: IT'S A HILARIOUS SHOW.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT.
CONGRATULATIONSES WITH THAT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: WE'VE GOT TO GO HERE.
DO YOU WANT TO STICK AND AROUND HAVE A DRINK OR SOMETHING JIEFS
GOING TO GO--IST GOING TO GO SEE THE PLAY AFTER THE SHOW.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME WITH ME IF YOU WANT.
>> Stephen: I...
>> DO YOU WANT TO COME?
>> Stephen: HAVE SEEN IT BUT I-- I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT
AGAIN.
IF IT'S A NEW CAST, I WOULD-- >> CAST IS AMAZING.
YOU CAN COME.
>> Stephen: CAN I BRING A FRIEND?
>> YOU CAN BRING AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU WANT.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: DO YOU WANT TO GO?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ALL RIGHT!
OKAY.
FOR REAL?
>> EVERYONE.
>> Stephen: FOR REAL.
>> EVERYONE!
>> Stephen: FOR REAL?
>> EVERYONE IS INVITED.
>> Stephen: FOR REAL.
DO YOU GUYS WANT TO GO SEE THE PLAY WITH US?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ALL RIGHT, STICK AROUND.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE EVERYBODY HERE TO THE PLAY RIGHT
AFTER THE SHOW.
DON'T GO ANYWHERE.
AND YOU AT HOME, GO "THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG" ON BROADWAY AT
THE LYCEM THEATRE.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO SEE IT WITH US TONIGHT.
J.J. ABRAMS.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY BORNS!