Behind the Courtship of ‘Star Wars’ Director J.J. Abrams

With the world’s largest entertainment and tech firms circling, Sony Corp. decided to make an all-hands pitch for “Star Wars” director J.J. Abrams.

The Japanese electronics giant — the owner of Columbia Pictures — flew the writer-producer and his senior staff on a corporate jet to the sleek compound of Sony’s PlayStation video-game division in San Mateo, California. During the flight, entertainment chief Tony Vinciquerra and lieutenants including studio head Tom Rothman took turns pitching Abrams on their business.