Abrams sad; will miss directing Alias finale

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Abrams Laments Missing 'Alias' Finale, 'Lost'
By Daniel Fienberg
Monday, February 13, 2006
04:54 PM PT

Even when J.J. Abrams seems tired -- and at San Francisco's WonderCon, he arrives looking as if it's been weeks since his last night's sleep -- it's difficult to believe that he's approaching his 40th birthday later this year. Hearing Abrams confess that he only has so many hours in his days is even more striking.

Abrams is addressing a crowd of rabid devotees about "Mission: Impossible III," the high pressure, megabudget summer sequel that marks his feature directing debut. It's kind of a big deal for Paramount, but for the genre fans in attendance, it may pale in comparison to Abrams' ABC dramas "Alias" and "Lost." Unfortunately, for the past year or so, Abrams has been eating, drinking and breathing fireballs, high-tech gadgets and Tom Cruise. That commitment has caused his involvement on both shows to be seriously reduced.

"I wish I could take more credit for 'Lost' this year, but I can't," Abrams says, referring to the show's second season. "Everyone's like, 'I love 'Lost' this year!' and I'm like 'I had nothing to do with it!'"

It was during production on the "Lost" pilot that Cruise called Abrams and set "Mission: Impossible III" plans in motion. With the franchise sequel already running behind thanks to several director shifts, Cruise was ready to get rolling, but Abrams recognized his responsibilities to "Lost." He asked the most powerful actor in Hollywood for a one-year delay, which Cruise granted.

"I said to [co-creator Damon Lindelof], 'Look, this has come up' and he said, 'Dude, you've got to do it.' He was so cool about it," Abrams recalls. "I'm not just grateful that meeting Damon was sort of the catalyst for and the alchemy to create the pilot and series, but that he and Carlton Cuse really took all the reins to run the show this year. I've been perfectly involved this season, but I'm as much a fan of theirs as anything."

Abrams has more regrets about having to let go of his older series. After a five year run, "Alias" will go off the air this May. Unfortunately, the Jennifer Garner spy series will vanish at exactly the moment Abrams will be concentrating on launching a very different spy venture.

"I wanted to direct the last episode of 'Alias,' but I have to go on the international tour for this, so I won't get to do that, which is a very sort of heartbreaking idea that the show will end without me there," Abrams explains.

Even after hearing about the writer-director's divided attentions, one intrepid "Lost" viewer is still looking for answers.

"Is the island Jesus?" he asks.

Abrams does a double-take, pauses, smiles and plays along.

"Yes," he says.
 
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