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Dec 18, 2015 · Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens: Directed by J.J. Abrams. With Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver. As a new threat to the galaxy rises, Rey, a desert scavenger, and Finn, an ex-stormtrooper, must join Han Solo and Chewbacca to search for the one hope of restoring peace.
- (958K)
- Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
- J.J. Abrams
- 2015-12-18
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (also known as Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens) is a 2015 American epic space opera film co-produced, co-written, and directed by J. J. Abrams. The sequel to Return of the Jedi (1983), it is the seventh film in the " Skywalker Saga ".
- $2.071 billion
- John Williams
- $447 million (net)
Dec 18, 2015 · 2h 16min. Release Date: December 18, 2015. Genre: Action-Adventure, Science Fiction. Thirty years since the destruction of the second Death Star, the sinister First Order, commanded by the mysterious Snoke and apprentice Kylo Ren, rise from the ashes of the Empire. The Resistance, led by General Leia Organa, attempts to thwart the First Order's ...
- Overview
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- Release
- Reception
"There's been an awakening. Have you felt it?"
―Supreme Leader Snoke — Listen (file info)[6]
Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, marketed as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, is a 2015 film directed by J.J. Abrams; co-written by Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan, and Michael Arndt; and produced by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and Bad Robot Productions. It is the first part of the Star Wars sequel trilogy. The film stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, and Peter Mayhew reprising their original roles. The original actors are joined by a host of new actors including Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, and Oscar Isaac.
The story begins thirty years after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. The First Order has risen from the ashes of the Galactic Empire and is opposed by General Leia Organa and the Resistance, both of which seek to find the missing Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. In the midst of this search, new heroes rise in the form of Rey, a 19 year-old girl and a Force-sensitive scavenger from Jakku; Finn, a stormtrooper who defected from the First Order; and Poe Dameron, the best pilot in the Resistance. They are aided by Han Solo in their search for Skywalker and their mission to destroy the First Order's new superweapon, Starkiller Base, which targets the New Republic and the Resistance for destruction. They are opposed by villains such as Kylo Ren, a dark warrior with a mysterious past; and General Armitage Hux, the commander of Starkiller Base.
Despite initially claiming that the Star Wars story ended with the redemption of Anakin Skywalker in Return of the Jedi, and after spending years refuting speculation that there would be another film, Star Wars creator George Lucas began work on Episode VII in 2011 in order to increase the value of Lucasfilm before he sold it to The Walt Disney Company, although Disney would later elect to not use Lucas' story. The acquisition was finalized on October 30, 2012. Disney and Lucasfilm officially announced Episode VII and the sequel trilogy the same day. Lucasfilm later announced that the film would be an original story not beholden to the continuity of the Star Wars Expanded Universe, which was rebranded as the non-canon Star Wars Legends.
The Force Awakens was released on December 17, 2015 in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Latin America, and Asian countries; December 18, 2015 in North America; and January 9, 2016 in China. Some North American theaters offered special limited advance showings on the evening of December 17th rather than the traditional midnight showing. The film received widespread critical praise upon its release and was a massive box office success, becoming the highest grossing film of all time in North America when not adjusted for inflation. Worldwide, the film was the third highest-grossing film of all time at the time of its release (behind Avatar and Titanic). It is currently the fifth highest-grossing film of all time (behind Avengers: Endgame, Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Titanic).
Attack on Tuanul
"We got company." ―Poe Dameron[6] Approximately 30 years after the destruction of the second Death Star, Luke Skywalker, the last known surviving Jedi Master has disappeared. Both the First Order, a successor to the fallen Galactic Empire, and the Resistance, a military force backed by the New Republic led by Luke's twin sister, General Leia Organa, scour the galaxy in an attempt to find him. Leia sends Resistance pilot Poe Dameron on a secret mission to the village of Tuanul on the desert planet Jakku, to meet with village elder Lor San Tekka, who has obtained a map to Luke Skywalker's location. During the meeting, First Order stormtroopers under the command of Kylo Ren and Captain Phasma attack the village. Poe and his astromech droid BB-8 attempt to flee in their T-70 X-wing starfighter, but a pair of stormtroopers disable the engines with their blasters. With no alternative, Poe gives the map to BB-8 and orders the BB unit to flee. Poe remains behind to cover BB-8's escape. After stormtrooper FN-2187 is deployed, FN-2003 is hit with blaster fire by Poe. FN-2187 goes to help his squadmate, but FN-2003's wound proves fatal, and in his final moments, FN-2003 smears his blood on FN-2187's helmet before dying, deeply affecting FN-2187. After securing the area, the remaining villagers are herded into the town square. Tekka is captured and brought before Kylo Ren, who demands to know where the map leading to Luke is. Tekka responds that he knows who Ren used to be, and chides Ren that he cannot escape his real identity. Growing impatient, Ren kills Tekka by striking him down with his lightsaber. Poe takes a shot at Ren from cover, but Ren casually stops the blaster bolt in mid-air with the Force. Poe is captured, and Ren decides to interrogate him further back on their ship. Before leaving, Phasma asks what to do with the crowd of captive villagers, and Ren orders them all slaughtered. Stormtrooper FN-2187 is horrified as the massacre plays out in front of him, remaining motionless and not firing his weapon.
Return to the Finalizer
"The Resistance will not be intimidated by you!" ―Poe Dameron to Kylo Ren[6] Returning to the Resurgent-class Star Destroyer Finalizer, FN-2187 is overwhelmed with emotions because of the death of his squadmate and the massacre of the villagers. He ducks inside an empty shuttle to take his helmet off, breathing heavily, but Phasma notices him and tells him to submit his blaster for inspection, having earlier noticed that he did not fire a shot. Knowing he would be punished and re-evaluated for not firing on the villagers, and with his faith in the First Order severely shaken, he decides to desert. Meanwhile, after failed attempts of torturing Poe for vital information about the map of Luke Skywalker's location, Ren uses his mind probe Force power to pry the information from Poe's mind. Ren learns that the map is located within a BB series droid that fled the village, and informs General Armitage Hux of the new information.
Encounter with the scavenger
"Classified. Really? Me too. Big secret." ―Rey to BB-8[6] Elsewhere on Jakku, a scavenger named Rey traverses the corridors of a downed Imperial-class Star Destroyer at the Graveyard of Giants. Scavenging through the Imperial Star Destroyer, she finds a valuable piece of salvage and drops it in her satchel. Rey heads to Niima Outpost, and hauls the sack of salvage throughout the town. She then goes to Unkar Plutt to exchange her scraps for foodstuff, and he offers her a quarter portion for her salvage. After taking the foodstuff, Rey heads to her home, a downed AT-AT, and prepares a meal for herself. After finishing her meal, she watches a starship depart from the planet and then notices a distant sound. She immediately runs off with her quarterstaff to investigate. There, she encounters BB-8 struggling against being captured by a green-skinned humanoid scavenger named Teedo. She frees the droid and gives it directions to Niima Outpost and sends it on its way, but BB-8 insists on traveling with her. Rey goes to Unkar Plutt to again exchange her salvage for foodstuff, and the Crolute offers to buy BB-8 for sixty food portions; while tempted, Rey declines the offer. Plutt then sends two thugs to steal BB-8.
"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."
―Bob Iger[7]
"We're living in such a different age now. It's like a competition to see who can leak information faster than the next guy. I don't get it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they don't get a copy of the script and leak the whole thing on the Internet."
―Mark Hamill[72]
The first teaser trailer—released early due to both fan demand and Abrams' request[7][73]—was announced via the Bad Robot Productions Twitter account, with a note from Abrams saying fans will see a "tiny peek at what we're working on."[74] The 88-second teaser premiered in 30 theaters across North America and was released online on November 28, 2014.[75][76] The teaser was shown in theaters around the world beginning in December 2014.[75] Character names were revealed shortly thereafter in online mock collector cards.[77] Earlier that November, J.J. Abrams made a cameo on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, in which he could be seen directing R2-D2 on the set of The Force Awakens. When a fish from Oliver's salmon cannon falls on the script that he's holding, Abrams gets frustrated and quits the film.[78]
A second teaser was released on April 16, 2015.[79] The June 2015 issue of Variety featured a cover story on The Force Awakens, with interviews with cast and crew and images from an Annie Leibovitz photo shoot.[80] The August 2015 issues of Entertainment Weekly and Empire also had the film as their cover stories.[81][82][83] The Force Awakens had a presence at 2015's San Diego Comic-Con and D23 events.[84][85] At the latter, it was revealed that Drew Struzan had returned to create poster art for the film, including a poster exclusive to the event.[86] A third, shorter teaser was released on the Star Wars Instagram on August 27.[87] On September 23, Facebook released a 360-degree panoramic video clip of a speeder driving across Jakku.[88] The official one sheet was released on October 18, 2015,[89] while the full-length trailer debuted on October 19 with ESPN's Monday Night Football.[90]
The cast and crew appeared on various TV programs, including Good Morning America,[91] Live! with Kelly and Michael,[92] and 60 Minutes.[93][94] Abrams, Boyega, and Ridley participated in a Saturday Night Live sketch featuring cast members and guest celebrities in a series of fake auditions. Among the subjects parodied were racist reactions to Boyega's casting, Lucas's comments about not being involved, and Abrams's involvement in the rival franchise Star Trek.[95][96] (More of these later aired on June 1, 2016.[97]) Abrams and the cast appeared on a Star Wars–themed episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on November 23.[98] Harrison Ford spoke about his injury during shooting on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon by destroying a Han Solo action figure.[99]
Some members of the cast and crew also participated in an official press conference on December 5.[100] The film had its red-carpet premiere on December 14 at Hollywood Boulevard.[101] The event was streamed live on StarWars.com.[102] The cast (including the droids) participated in an a cappella medley of the music from the series with Jimmy Fallon and The Roots on The Tonight Show.[103] Ford and Abrams participated on a sketch on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert depicting what convinced Ford to return: Colbert allegedly almost convinced Abrams to recast the role of Han with him.[104] Later, when he appeared on Conan, he was asked to sign producer Jordan Schlansky's LEGO Millennium Falcon and "accidentally" dropped it.[105] Abrams made a cameo on a May 2016 episode of The Late Late Show with James Corden, in which he appeared in the backseat of a car and directed "Chewbacca Mom" Candace Payne on how to properly use a Chewbacca mask.[106]
Theater tickets became available for pre-order on October 19th,[89] with many online retailers experiencing outages due to heavy demand, including top sites such as Fandango.[137][138] By the time of the film's release, over $100 million in pre-release tickets were sold, bypassing the previous record, held by The Dark Knight.[139]
Some theater chains limited the types of cosplay allowed at screenings of the film. For instance, fans at AMC and Cinemark weren't allowed to wear masks or face paint, or carry simulated weapons. Some chains also banned the carrying of lightsaber toys.[140]
The film carries a 93% fresh score at the review-aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, with 434 reviews and an average score of 8.26/10.[141][142] Manohla Dargis of the New York Times stated that "The big news about 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' is — spoiler alert — that it's good!" and that the film "takes off with a battle and closes on a meaningful moment of quiet."[143] John Wenzel of the Denver Post graded the film at 3 1/2 stars out of 4, calling it a "masterful symphony" and praising the film's emphasis on "practical effects and honest-to-God sets."[144]
On January 6, 2016, the film broke the record for the highest box-office gross for a film in the United States, beating the previous record of $760.5 million held by the 2009 epic science-fiction film Avatar by James Cameron. The record was reached less than three weeks after release.[145] Adjusted for ticket price inflation, The Force Awakens is the most successful sequel of all time, narrowly beating Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back.[146] On February 7, 2016, the film was reported to have crossed the threshold of $2 billion in ticket sales.[147]
The Force Awakens was nominated for five Oscars at the 88th Academy Awards (the largest number of award nominations for a single Star Wars film since A New Hope), held on February 28, 2016. The film was nominated in the categories of Best Film Editing for Maryann Brandon and Mary Joe Markey; Best Original Score for John Williams; Best Sound Editing for Matthew Wood and David Acord; Best Sound Mixing for Andy Nelson, Christopher Scarabosio, and Stuart Wilson; and Best Visual Effects for Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach, Neal Scanlan, and Chris Corbould.[148] The general public voted The Force Awakens Movie of the Year at the 2016 MTV Movie Awards; Daisy Ridley was also voted Best Breakthrough Performance, while Adam Driver won Best Villain.[149]
According to Robert Iger's 2019 memoir The Ride of a Lifetime, George Lucas was not pleased with the film, feeling that it lacked creativity or innovation. On his part, Iger explained that his company intended to make a film that was familiar to what had come before.[150] Kathleen Kennedy later commented on this to Rolling Stone: "He may not agree with every choice J.J. made. He may not agree with every choice Rian made. But he appreciates the film-making. That I know."[151]
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Dec 18, 2015 · 2h 16min. Release Date: December 18, 2015. Genre: Action-Adventure, Science Fiction. Thirty years after the Battle of Endor, a new threat has risen in the form of the First Order and the villainous Kylo Ren. Meanwhile, Rey, a young scavenger, discovers powers that will change her life -- and possibly save the galaxy. Directed By.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a thrilling adventure that continues the saga of the galaxy far, far away. Find out how critics and audiences rated this epic blockbuster, and read reviews ...
