The director took some flak after his first Trek film by admitting he wasn't a fan of the TV series. Now, back with another one, does he regret what he said? And what plans does he have for his first Star Wars movie?

When Jj Abrams was handed the task of revitalising the Star Trek franchise in 2006, the portents were not good. His first directing job, Mission: Impossible III, had not been finished, he had a string of script commissions behind him of variable quality – including Michael Bay's infamous asteroid-masher Armageddon. He had small-screen chops for sure, earned via successful series Alias and Lost, but many a TV guy has stumbled when attempting to deliver proper cinema. Now, seven years later, Abrams is king of the Hollywood heap: sitting on billions of dollars in box office, a second Star Trek film poised for release, and a deal up his...