[Update: Official HD Photos From Trailer & Event HERE]
Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012 and coupled the surprise announcement with the news that they were jumping straight into development on another Star Wars trilogy to continue the story of the original saga. Two-and-a-half years later, and principal photography on Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens has been completed by several months.
Star Wars 7 is directed by J.J. Abrams who leaves the Star Trek film franchise after helping bring it back. The Force Awakens represents the beginning of a larger Star Wars cinematic universe with annualized releases. Episodes 8 and 9 are already confirmed for releases in 2017 and 2019 with director Rian Johnson (Looper) helming at least the first of the two. Covering the gaps between episodic releases in the ‘main’ series will be spinoffs directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) – the first titled Star Wars: Rogue One – and Josh Trank (Fantastic Four).
The first and only teaser trailer for Star Wars: Episode VII thus far focused on new characters and familiar locations (and a new lightsaber). A new desert planet known as Jakku (not the familiar Tatooine) was the focus of the limited teaser footage, inter-spliced with shots of the iconic Millennium Falcon being chased by Imperial Tie Fighters, with another shot showcase the more modernized X-Wing fighters used by the Rebel Alliance in the original films.
The full-length trailer will debut with Disney-Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron when it opens in theaters in May and reports indicated it’ll feature the core original trilogy characters Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Chewbacca and potentially others. Two of these old heroes we just got to see, while another (Luke) we hear…
Thanks to today’s start to the Star Wars Celebration 2015 event, a second Episode VII teaser trailer has been released, confirming several rumors and fleshing out a few sequences from earlier. We see more of the Falcon chase sequence, this time extending through a crashed Imperial Star Destroyer, a glimpse at Han Solo and Chewbacca, looking just as cool several decades later, and a pile of new starship and Stormtrooper shots confirming artwork and rumors of redesigns. Check it out and share your thoughts in the comments!
Note: this second teaser doesn’t at all match the rumored trailer description although that could be for the first full trailer coming attached to Avengers: Age of Ultron at the end of the month.
[Update: Official HD Photos From Trailer & Event HERE]
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More: Star Wars 7 Photos & Trailer Analysis
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Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens is directed by J.J. Abrams and stars Gwendoline Christie, Lupita Nyong’o, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Crystal Clarke, Pip Andersen and Max von Sydow alongside original stars Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in theaters December 18, 2015.
