The Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser is the most watched 88 second sneak peek in the history of trailers. So far it has racked up over 100 million views in just under two weeks after being released in both theaters and online over Thanksgiving weekend. But it almost didn't happen. According to Disney CEO Bob Iger, director J.J. Abrams didn't want to release any footage at all at this time.

In fact, J.J. Abrams was so obsessed with retaining the mystery behind his upcoming sequel that he had to be convinced that releasing the teaser was the right thing to do. At a Variety breakfast held in Hollywood this morning, Bob Iger revealed that it was the rabid Star Wars fanbase that prompted Disney to move forward with this brief introduction to five new characters, teasing the look and feel of the sequel. He says:

"I keep telling J.J. Abrams this is a $4 billion movie. We need to treat this very special. It's an unbelievable privilege and unbelievable responsibility to take a jewel, and treat it in a way that is respectful of its past, but brings it into the future."

That respect extends to the idea of using less CGI and more practical effects. The Disney CEO had this to say about the amount of physical props being used in the film:

"[The] wow factor isn't what it used to be. The film [will have] a look that will be extremely respectful of the look George [Lucas] created in the '70s."

Do you think J.J. Abrams ultimately made the right decision in releasing the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser? Or do you think he should have been allowed to keep the movie hidden away from fans until a later date? This could actually be bad for fans. If he released an 88 second teaser now, he may be less willing to release a longer trailer in the future. Will this be all the Star Wars: The Force Awakens footage we get for a very, very long time? That may very well be the case...