The Force Is Awakening
We’ve been anticipating this movie release for a LONG time. Read about what you need to know before seeing Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.
Since the huge announcement of a new upcoming Star Wars trilogy clear back in 2012, sci-fi enthusiasts have been excited to see the latest installment. Most people thought the saga was over with Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith, but thanks to an acquisition by Disney and a willing J.J. Abrams, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens has been brought to life.
The anticipation has been killing both diehard fans and casual Star Wars watchers for the past year now. In November of 2014, a new teaser was released showing a couple of clips from the upcoming film. We saw glimpses of jedis, stormtroopers and a quick shot of the Millennium Falcon in all its glory. This was enough to get us out of our seats and on board for the latest Star Wars.
Over the 12 months, the excitement has continued to grow. During a Monday Night Football on October 19, the official The Force Awakens trailer was revealed at halftime. Tickets went on sale shortly after, and sold out within minutes in thousands of theaters around the country. If you missed the trailer, you can check it out below.
Google also decided to get in on the fun by throwing a little Easter egg into the search engine. Try typing ‘A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far Far Away’ into the Google search bar and wait for the Star Wars-themed result.
Google and ESPN aren’t the only ones building hype for the big premiere. Social media has exploded with rumors: Reddit articles about Jar Jar Binks being a Sith Lord and theories that Luke Skywalker is Kylo Ren (the new villain seeking to avenge Darth Vader’s death) have gone viral, causing new speculations and guesses for the new movies.
So what do we actually know about the upcoming film? We put together a few things you might find worth knowing before seeing the movie this weekend:
- The storyline is set 30 years in the future, meaning Luke, Leia and Hans Solo are well past their prime. All three are cast in the movie, but their level of involvement is unknown. In fact, Luke is never seen in the trailers or on the movie poster. Interesting…
- Lawrence Kasdan, the original director for the Empire Strikes Back, returned to write the script for The Force Awakens. In other words, original Star Wars fans, be excited!
- The Empire is back. It’s easy to see in the trailer that an army has been created to wreak havoc on the galaxy. It looks like they’re led by an exhilarating new leader by the name of Kylo Ren. By the looks of it, he wields his red crossguard lightsaber as well as any Sith Lord would.
- It appears a new Jedi comes forth in the seventh Star Wars. Finn, played by the up-and-coming John Boyega, looks like he’ll fill the void for a much needed Jedi Knight.
- Peter Mayhew is returning to his role as the beloved Chewbacca. We’re not sure about how the aging process works with wookies, so we’re unclear how Chewie will perform this late in his life, but finding out is half the fun!
J.J. Abrams and company have done a great job of keeping everything a secret up to this point. Sure, there are spoilers all around the web, but nothing is really confirmed. All we have is a couple of interviews with characters (none reveal much of the storyline), a teaser and a trailer, and a quote from George Lucas saying, “I think the fans are going to love it. It’s very much the kind of movie they’ve been looking for”.
Here at the WestHost office, we’re heading over to the movie theater as a company right after work Friday afternoon! To say we’re excited is an understatement. When are you seeing The Force Awakens? Connect with us on Twitter to let us know your thoughts on the latest Star Wars movie.
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