Star Wars: JJ Abrams initially turned down The Force Awakens because he was worried about his career

HIs wife had to pursuade him into accepting the offer

Star Wars: The Force Awakens director JJ Abrams can't wait for fans to see his movie (Getty Images)

JJ Abrams initially turned down the opportunity to direct Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a $7 billion blockbuster and undoubtedly the most successful film of the year, because he was worried about the effect it could have on his career.

Abrams, 49, has directed films including Armageddon, Cloverfield and co-created the series Lost, earning him two Emmy Awards.

But when Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy approached Abrams and asked him to direct the hotly anticipated seventh installment of the franchise, he admitted to saying no at first in an interview with The Times.

It wasn’t until his wife Katie McGrath wisely convinced him that declining her offer could be a decision he might come to regret that he signed onto the project.

“The reality is, I didn’t want to be the guy who does sequels,” he said.

“When Kathy called, I did something I don’t normally do, which is look at my career. I really did feel like, ‘That sounds like the wrong idea. ‘I’ll be nearly 50 when this movie comes out. Is that what I want to spend those years working on?’”

The Force Awakens continues to smash box office records, taking an estimated £9.6 million on its opening day in the UK and $57m in the US and Canada. Abrams' finished product has also broken the record for the biggest opening day of all time while arriving to critical success.

The film is proving so popular that even the slightest threat of a spoiler is causing hysteria among fans, as ex-NFL player Michael Sam discovered the hard way on Saturday.