'The mystery box' has long been Abrams' way of explaining the idea that people are most compelled by an unseen mystery.

"A movie should have the unpredictability of an unopened box, out of which absolutely anything could emerge," he explains.

For Lost, the mystery box was the island itself. For Super 8, it comes in the form of a secret cargo being transported via train by the US Air Force. 

When the train crashes in catastophic fashion, the Unseen Thing is unleashed. But keeping the mystery in the box has been a full time job for the filmmakers.

Everyone involved agreed that it should be kept hush-hush until the last possible moment, so that audiences have the chance to be startled.

In an age where trailers give away the best parts of most films, it was this mystery that Kyle Chandler found most attractive about his role.

"After a while I stopped asking questions. If my character didn't know something, then I didn't want to know either," he says.

"There are so many elements to it - the pace of the script, the mystery... But at the core of it is pure character development, and that's what makes it feel magical."

As true as that may be, any time a production involves this level of secrecy, from Cloverfield to Nolan's Batman series, it only makes fans more rabid for information. 

And since the early teaser trailer premiered, only one question has been on film fans' lips...