Star Wars Episode VII's Simon Pegg admits he has 'no respect' for fans of the prequels

Science-fiction enthusiast Simon Pegg has never been shy when it comes to voicing his opinion on the subject. Earlier this year, he came under criticism from fans of the genre when he unintentionally claimed that sci-fi and fantasy are "dumbing down" cinema and "taking our focus away from real-world issues".

He's always been open to the fact that he didn't enjoy George Lucas' Star Wars prequels, The Phantom Menace, Attack Of The Clones and Revenge Of The Sith, often ridiculing them in his television series, Spaced. But now, the star has not only said that he doesn't like the trio of films much, but that he's not too keen on people who do like them either.

"I don't really have any respect for anyone who thinks those films are good," Pegg revealed (via The Playlist). "They're not. They're a monumental misunderstanding of what the original three films are about. It's an exercise in utter infanticide ... [like] George Lucas killing his kid."

Pegg acted as creative consultant during the production of forthcoming Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens and also has a small unspecified cameo in the seventh instalment itself, making him the only person to be involved in both the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises.

The movie marks his fifth time working with director JJ Abrams, and it's clear that Pegg is confident the film-maker will restore the franchise back to its former glory with the new film... and that everyone can finally forget about those pesky prequels.

"To knock out ideas with JJ, and every single day, whether you were on the set of something you recognized or a set that was brand new, it just felt like Star Wars in a way that I hadn't felt in 32 years," the 45-year-old admitted. "It was genuinely magical."

Pegg isn't the only person open about their dislike of the early 2000s movies either. Anthony Daniels, the English actor who has played humanoid robot C-3PO in every single Star Wars movie, also admitted he wasn't a fan back in September during Force Friday 2015.

"Ah, the prequels. I turned one on the other night. Sky seems to have devoted a whole channel to them. The effects are clever but pointless," he candidly confessed in an interview with The Guardian. "The skill is there, but so what? Coldness, that's the word. Bleakness, even."

But like Pegg, Daniels is hopeful that the new film will revert back to the style of the original movies, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi, and deliver a picture that will please even the most hardcore of fans. "It became clear early on that with JJ we were getting back to the old-fashioned kind of film-making."

Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens is set to be released in UK cinemas on 17 December and US cinemas the following day.

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