J.J. Abrams on ‘The End of Oak Street’ Theories and Daughter Gracie’s Acting Debut: “I Know How Hard She’s Working”
Producer J.J. Abrams has dismissed online fan theories linking his new film "The End of Oak Street" to his Cloverfield franchise, calling any perceived connections coincidental. The sci-fi adventure, directed by David Robert Mitchell and starring Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, follows a suburban family whose street is transported to prehistoric times among dinosaurs, and Abrams also spoke about his daughter, pop star Gracie Abrams, making her acting debut.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the film's Los Angeles premiere, Abrams said the only tie to Cloverfield is that McGregor's real-life partner, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, starred in "10 Cloverfield Lane". He explained the appeal of setting a dinosaur film in suburban America rather than the Jurassic Park mould, saying the juxtaposition of dinosaurs in ordinary neighbourhoods made the story feel fresh. He also expressed pride in Gracie Abrams, who is set to appear in an upcoming A24 film from "Babygirl" director Halina Reijn, praising her work ethic. "The End of Oak Street" is released in cinemas on Friday.
- Abrams denies "The End of Oak Street" is secretly linked to Cloverfield
- Film stars Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor; dinosaurs invade suburbia
- Daughter Gracie Abrams to make her acting debut in an A24 film
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The film centres on "The End of Oak Street", a science-fiction adventure directed by David Robert Mitchell and starring Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor. It imagines an ordinary suburban street transported back to prehistoric times and surrounded by dinosaurs, offering a different setting from the Jurassic Park-style films audiences may already know.
J.J. Abrams, a well-known film and TV producer behind projects such as Lost, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the Cloverfield franchise, is a producer on the film. Because of his Cloverfield connection, some fans have speculated online that "The End of Oak Street" might be secretly linked to that series, though no such connection has been confirmed.
Also of note is the film debut of Gracie Abrams, J.J. Abrams's daughter and an established pop singer-songwriter, who is beginning to move into acting alongside her music career. The film opened in cinemas this week, prompting press interviews with those involved.