During the D23 Expo, Star Wars : The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams invited the cast of the new film onto the stage to help him introduce a new poster for the film. The reveal of poster, designed by veteran film poster artist Drew Struzan, was followed by a surprise appearance by Harrison Ford.
Produced by Rob Ludacer
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With Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar under its watch, Disney is more ambitious than ever.
During the company's weekend-long D23 fan convention, Disney laid out everything it plans to release from now until 2017.
Its lineup includes reboots, superheroes, a few animated movies, and multipe trips to desert planets in a galaxy far, far away.
Here is everything you can expect to see from Disney from now through 2017.
It will feature the voice talents of Sam Elliot, Anna Paquin, and Frances McDormand.
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With Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar under its watch, Disney is more ambitious than ever.
During the company's weekend-long D23 fan convention, Disney laid out everything it planned to release through 2017.
Its lineup includes reboots, superheroes, a few animated movies, and multiple trips to desert planets in a galaxy far, far away.
Here is everything you can expect to see from Disney from now through 2017.
It will feature the voice talents of Sam Elliott, Anna Paquin, and Frances McDormand.
NOW WATCH: Here’s how to get your own 'Straight Outta Compton' Facebook photo
"Star Wars" fever is now reaching the stratosphere.
All Nippon Airways Co. (ANA), Japan’s largest airline, will start flying a plane modeled after the franchise. The outside of the plane looks less like the Millennium Falcon though and more like R2-D2.
The initial announcement about the plane was made back in April around the same time the second "The Force Awakens" teaser was released. The plane designed like R2-D2 will make a trip from Tokyo to Vancouver in October.
Since then, the airline has made a few more "Star Wars" related additions to its fleet.
According to Bloomberg, another plane, designed like brand new character BB-8, will make a North American trip in March. A third one, simply with the classic "Star Wars" logo, will take flight in November.
Check them out below:
While ANA has provided an extensive look at the outside of the planes, we still haven't seen what the inside of each of them will look like. However, according to CNN, the planes will offer all six "Star Wars" movies as in-flight entertainment on international routes. ANA plans to go all out, as they also plan to feature Star Wars’ characters on headrest covers, paper napkins and cups in the three planes.
Looks like now is a better time than ever to plan that trip to Japan.
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NOW WATCH: Disney’s plans for a new ‘Star Wars’ amusement park look like nothing you’ve ever seen
When "Star Wars: Episode VII" opens in theaters this December, it won't just be a big hit in the US.
It will be a huge, global phenomenon.
The film is expected to shatter box-office records currently held by "Avatar" and "Titanic." Analyst estimates have ranged from $1.2 billion - $1.75 billion globally, and still, that may not be enough.
While US audiences know the film as “The Force Awakens,” fans around the globe will know the next “Star Wars” by many different names.
Take a look at how fans around the world refer to “Star Wars: Episode VII."
During the company's weekend-long D23 fan convention, Disney laid out everything it plans to release from now until 2017.
Its lineup includes reboots, superheroes, a few animated movies, and multiple trips to desert planets in a galaxy far, far away.
Produced by Emma Fierberg. Reported by Ian Phillips.
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The "Star Wars" universe is full of squadrons. You’ve got Rogue Squadron, Gold Squadron, and my personal favorite, Nightmare Squadron (from one of the non-canon games). We already knew that "The Force Awakens" has Red and Blue Squadrons, but there’s a new kid on the playground, as Oscar Isaac’s character, Poe Dameron’s squad bears the badass name Black Squadron.
Just a warning, there may be potential SPOILERS beyond this point. Tread lightly.
Making Star Wars has a few sparse details about the new addition to the franchise, Poe Dameron. Though there’s nothing earthshaking, they do restate what we all suspect, that he turns out to be a natural leader. That’s the impression most of us already had after all the photos and trailers we’ve seen—he just looks very heroic—but they add that by the end of the movie he’ll be the lead of the cadre of X-Wing Fighters named Black Squadron.
If you’ve been keeping an eye on all things "The Force Awakens," this moniker makes a great deal of sense. Back during principal photography, set photos started hitting the airwaves showing off a sexy new black X-Wing. Those were followed by leaked promotional images of a LEGO set showing off the same ominous looking craft, as well as more images, including one of Poe Dameron standing in front of the new fighter.
Initially we weren’t sure if this new X-Wing, or X-Wings—we also weren’t sure if there was more than one—were on the side of good or evil. To be fair, we still don’t know the score on either count. We’ve heard that, at some point, Poe steals a ship to make an escape, and that could very easily be this craft (in Star Wars lore, the Rebel Alliance stole the X-Wings from the Empire in the first place). And perhaps Black Squadron is a new designation, and the name derives from their leader’s ship.
This isn’t the first time we’ve head the name "Black Squadron" used in the Star Wars lexicon. The name also refers to an elite group of TIE Fighter pilots under the command of Darth Vader in "A New Hope." They’re stationed on the Death Star during the Battle of Yavin, and you may recall Vader being referred to as "Black Leader" in the midst of the squabble. During the conflict, Grand Moff Tarkin didn’t take the Rebel threat seriously, and so Black Squadron was the only one to actually deploy and they were seriously outnumbered.
We’re curious to see how this name makes the leap from one side to another, or if it’s even mentioned at all. Maybe it’s just an obvious, cool sounding name with no greater ties. It wouldn’t be the first time "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" has used something from another source, after all, the title is the same as a 2006 fan film. This, however, is at least canon (it was in one of the movies, it’s canon), so it will be interesting to see.
We’ll find out one way or another when "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" hits theaters December 18.
SEE ALSO: Here's how the "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" logo looks in other countries
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From now until 2020, we will be getting a new "Star Wars" movie each year.
This will include three movies as part of a new trilogy and another additional three spin-off films which are being called anthology stories.
The first one, entitled "The Force Awakens," will be out later this year in December.
But there is still plenty of more "Star Wars to come.
Here are all the new "Star Wars" movies you can look forward to seeing in the next five years.
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There was always something strange about Kylo Ren, the new villain in the upcoming "Star Wars" movie, "The Force Awakens."
This guy:
In the first teaser trailer from last November, we see Kylo Ren ignite a unique three-blade lightsaber. Fans went nuts. So did Stephen Colbert.
But there was a problem. When Lucasfilm announced the character's name, the title "Darth" was noticeably absent. At first, most just assumed Kylo Ren was a Sith, one of the followers of the Dark Side of the Force that always has Darth in their name. For example, Darth Vader was a Sith. His Sith master, Emperor Palpatine, went by Darth Sidious.
Stop reading now if you want to avoid spoilers or speculation about the next "Star Wars" movies.
Kylo Ren's character came into more focus on Tuesday in a teaser article for Empire Magazine's upcoming winter preview issue. The full version of the article will be on newsstands this Thursday.
In the article, "The Force Awakens" director JJ Abrams says Kylo Ren is not a Sith. Instead, he follows his master Supreme Leader Snoke, a villainous character played by Andy Serkis. Snoke is in charge of the First Order, a new militaristic group similar to the Galactic Empire from the original movies. Abrams describes Snoke as "a powerful figure on the Dark Side of the Force." But it seems like he's not a Sith either.
We haven't seen what Snoke looks like yet. All we know is that Serkis used motion capture to play the character, which means he'll probably be at least partially computer generated. If we had to guess, this likely means Snoke is some sort of alien, not a human being.
So what does all this mean?
Here's some informed speculation about the bad guys in "The Force Awakens."
In the same Empire interview, Abrams says the First Order didn't necessarily form out of the Galactic Empire, which was ruled by Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader. Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader died in the final battle in "Return of the Jedi" and apparently took the Empire with them. The First Order is not exactly the same as the Empire. It's more like an organized militaristic group that idolizes what the Empire stood for.
And if the First Order idolized the Empire, then it'll need some powerful members of the Dark Side to run things. In fact, the Empire article describes the First Order as a group that views Darth Vader as a martyr. That's where Snoke and Kylo Ren come in.
The Sith's laws say there can only be two Sith at a time: a master and an apprentice. Since both Vader and Palpatine are toast, the Sith are too. But that doesn't mean the Dark Side lost all of its followers.
In an Entertainment Weekly article from a few weeks ago, Kylo Ren is described as a "Vader obsessive" who is part of a group called the Knights of Ren. (It turns out "Ren" is a title just like "Darth.")
Kylo Ren's Vader obsession could also explain why we see Darth Vader's charred helmet in the second teaser trailer:
It sounds like the First Order echoes the same theme as the Empire. We have what appears to be two very powerful Dark Side followers at the top: a master (Snoke) and his apprentice (Kylo Ren). But since the chain of Sith succession has been broken, they've formed a new Dark Side religion of sorts called the Knights of Ren. (A curious name since Jedi are called "knights" too.)
So Snoke and Kylo Ren have a big army with lots of brainwashed followers who seem to be obsessed with following people powerful in the Dark Side of the Force. Time to wreak some havoc and take over the galaxy, just like Darth Vader and Darth Sidious did with the Empire.
Now for the bigger question: What about the Jedi?
We already know Mark Hamill will return as Luke Skywalker in "The Force Awakens." Luke was the only Jedi in the galaxy when we last saw him, but so far we have no idea what happened after he defeated Vader and Palpatine.
Did he attempt to restore the Jedi Order? Did he find new followers and train them as Jedi? Is his sister, Princess Leia, a Jedi now? Or, as the most popular fan theory goes, did Luke go into hiding, only to return decades later when the galaxy needs him again?
So far, the only other hint we have about what's next for the Jedi is an exclusive teaser poster for "The Force Awakens" from Disney's recent D23 fan event. It shows the new character Finn holding Luke's old lightsaber.
Abrams has already said Finn is an ex-storm trooper from the First Order, and the poster implies that he had a change of heart and could start training to become a Jedi with Luke as his master.
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: Disney’s plans for a new ‘Star Wars’ amusement park look like nothing you’ve ever seen
There was always something strange about Kylo Ren, the new villain in the upcoming "Star Wars" movie, "The Force Awakens."
This guy:
In the first teaser trailer from last November, we see Kylo Ren ignite a unique three-blade lightsaber. Fans went nuts. So did Stephen Colbert.
But there was a problem. When Lucasfilm announced the character's name, the title "Darth" was noticeably absent. At first, most just assumed Kylo Ren was a Sith, one of the followers of the Dark Side of the Force that always has Darth in their name. For example, Darth Vader was a Sith. His Sith master, Emperor Palpatine, went by Darth Sidious.
Stop reading now if you want to avoid spoilers or speculation about the next "Star Wars" movies.
Kylo Ren's character came into more focus on Tuesday in a teaser article for Empire Magazine's upcoming winter preview issue. The full version of the article will be on newsstands this Thursday.
In the article, "The Force Awakens" director JJ Abrams says Kylo Ren is not a Sith. Instead, he follows his master Supreme Leader Snoke, a villainous character played by Andy Serkis. Snoke is in charge of the First Order, a new militaristic group similar to the Galactic Empire from the original movies. Abrams describes Snoke as "a powerful figure on the Dark Side of the Force." But it seems like he's not a Sith either.
We haven't seen what Snoke looks like yet. All we know is that Serkis used motion capture to play the character, which means he'll probably be at least partially computer generated. If we had to guess, this likely means Snoke is some sort of alien, not a human being.
So what does all this mean?
Here's some informed speculation about the bad guys in "The Force Awakens."
In the same Empire interview, Abrams says the First Order didn't necessarily form out of the Galactic Empire, which was ruled by Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader. Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader died in the final battle in "Return of the Jedi" and apparently took the Empire with them. The First Order is not exactly the same as the Empire. It's more like an organized militaristic group that idolizes what the Empire stood for.
And if the First Order idolized the Empire, then it'll need some powerful members of the Dark Side to run things. In fact, the Empire article describes the First Order as a group that views Darth Vader as a martyr. That's where Snoke and Kylo Ren come in.
The Sith's laws say there can only be two Sith at a time: a master and an apprentice. Since both Vader and Palpatine are toast, the Sith are too. But that doesn't mean the Dark Side lost all of its followers.
In an Entertainment Weekly article from a few weeks ago, Kylo Ren is described as a "Vader obsessive" who is part of a group called the Knights of Ren. (It turns out "Ren" is a title just like "Darth.")
Kylo Ren's Vader obsession could also explain why we see Darth Vader's charred helmet in the second teaser trailer:
It sounds like the First Order echoes the same theme as the Empire. We have, what appear to be, two very powerful Dark Side followers at the top: a leader (Snoke) and his apprentice (Kylo Ren). But since the chain of Sith succession has been broken, they've formed a new Dark Side religion of sorts called the Knights of Ren. (A curious name since Jedi are called "knights" too.)
So Snoke and Kylo Ren have a big army with lots of brainwashed followers who seem to be obsessed with following people powerful in the Dark Side of the Force. Time to wreak some havoc and take over the galaxy, just like Darth Vader and Darth Sidious did with the Empire.
Now for the bigger question: What about the Jedi?
We already know Mark Hamill will return as Luke Skywalker in "The Force Awakens." Luke was the only Jedi in the galaxy when we last saw him, but so far we have no idea what happened after he defeated Vader and Palpatine.
Did he attempt to restore the Jedi Order? Did he find new followers and train them as Jedi? Is his sister, Princess Leia, a Jedi now? Or, as the most popular fan theory goes, did Luke go into hiding, only to return decades later when the galaxy needs him again?
So far, the only other hint we have about what's next for the Jedi is an exclusive teaser poster for "The Force Awakens" from Disney's recent D23 fan event. It shows the new character Finn holding Luke's old lightsaber.
Abrams has already said Finn is an ex-storm trooper from the First Order, and the poster implies that he had a change of heart and could start training to become a Jedi with Luke as his master.
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: Disney’s plans for a new ‘Star Wars’ amusement park look like nothing you’ve ever seen
Disney is set to unveil its new line of "Star Wars" toys next month in stores on September 4.
On that day, which is being dubbed Force Friday, fans will be able to get their hands on a number of toys ranging from lightsabers to figurines from the upcoming new movie, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Fans will even be able to purchase a working mini-replica of the film's new robot, BB-8.
However, a bunch of the toys began popping up in retail stores earlier this month ahead of Disney's huge Force Friday reveal. As a result, "Star Wars: Episode VII" figures have appeared on eBay for as much as hundreds of dollars.
Since then, I've been heading to retail stores in Central New Jersey to see if any Force Friday toys were accidentally on shelves. It turns out, some of are appearing in stores weeks ahead of release.
Here's how I came across the toys.
What I found in the past few weeks was that every store was clearing shelf space in preparation for the big day to make way for the onslaught of "Star Wars." (Not a huge surprise.) That also meant all of the old "Star Wars" toys are currently marked as clearance in all of the stores we visited, which included three Target and three Walmart stores as well as one Toys "R" Us.
The first Walmart I headed to had a full display of "Star Wars" toys that shouldn't be on shelves until Friday, September 4.
Here's a closer look at some of the toys.
I knew these were Force Friday toys, because the packaging for the toys matches the product casing unveiled on StarWars.com May 3. "The Force Awakens" villain Kylo Ren will be featured on packaging for all of the new toys.
(None of the toys were "Star Wars: Episode VII" related, so there weren't spoilers for the new film.)
Here's a closer look at what we saw.
The top shelves were lined with toys called "Box Busters," toys that fold and unfold into boxes to reveal a mini playset inside.
This one is of a Tusken Raider Attack and the Battle of Yavin, which helped lead to the destruction of the initial Death Star.
The other prominent playset featured the Death Star. Both sets retail for $14.92.
Here's the back of the box:
There were also several radio controlled "Star Wars" vehicles Disney is releasing in conjunction with Air Hogs.
Among the vehicles was a Luke Skywalker X-34 Land Speeder.
There was also a Stormtrooper riding on a Speeder Bike. Both retail for $34.83.
At the high end, was an X-Wing Starfighter for $59.86.
But the coolest toy was definitely the Millennium Falcon drone. This was priced at $88.00.
I initially left the store and carried on to a Target down the road. When I realized Target didn't have any of the same items, I went straight back and figured I should try and buy something.
I went with one of the remote-controlled toys.
The lines were pretty lengthy inside, so I headed straight over to a self-checkout.
When I tried to ring the toy up, I was met with a prompt on the screen telling me this was a "restricted sale" and that I wouldn't be able to purchase it.
I headed over to a cashier and see if the same thing would happen. Just as I suspected, the moment the cashier rang up the toy a little message popped up on the screen instructing that the item was not for sale. Before I could say anything, the cashier simply overrode the message! I bought my toy, free and clear.
It appeared as if employees weren't given the proper training to be aware that certain "Star Wars" toys were not for sale ahead of September 4, but a representative for Walmart tells Tech Insider stores have put a number of precautions in place to prevent leaks from occurring including a sale restriction at registers. Though, as we noted, this was easily overridden by a cashier in the store.
And it wasn't just that particular Walmart which carried some of these toys.
Out of the six stores I headed to on Sunday, all three Walmart stores had Force Friday-related toys on display.
None of the Target stores had any on its shelves.
We were told Walmart will be looking into the matter.
All of Disney's new "Star Wars" toys will be on shelves on 9/4.
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: Disney’s plans for a new ‘Star Wars’ amusement park look like nothing you’ve ever seen
In honor of the new "Star Wars" movies coming out over the next several years, a new series of "Star Wars" toys are being released in stores on September 4, a day that is being called Force Friday.
While Disney has been keeping the toys, for themost part, under lock and key, fans will be able to get a sneak peek at some of the new products that will be in stores starting September 2.
Disney announced Wednesday it will host live toy unboxings from 15 cities worldwide over the course of 18 hours on the “Star Wars” YouTube channel.
A mix of popular toy unboxers, gamers, and “Star Wars” fans from Maker Studios, the company which Disney purchased in 2014, will host the unboxing sessions beginning at 5:30 p.m. EDT in Sydney, Australia 9/2 before ending in San Francisco, USA 9/3 at 11:00 a.m. EDT.
Disney hasn't announced which toys fans will get to see yet.
For now, check out the lucky YouTubers who will be unveiling the new "Star Wars" toys to the world.
Starring three American siblings, Annie, Haley, and Caleb, the Braytayley YouTube channel has gained over 1 million subscribers since joining the platform in 2010. The family regularly posts videos of their day to day lives, including the girls practicing gymnastics and all kinds of fun antics, like this "Whip Cream Fight." Past unboxing videos have included "Disney Mystery Minis," toys from 2013 animated film "Legends of Oz," and the "American Girl Doll of the Year."
This 18-year-old YouTuber lives in Tokyo and started sharing gaming videos in 2012. Since then, he's gained over 500,000 subscribers and his videos have been collectively viewed over 83 million times. Some of Einshine's most popular uploads include a Minecraft music video and prank call to a fellow Minecraft YouTuber.
"I am a huge child at heart,"explains YouTuber Dollastic in the description of her toy-devoted channel. With over 30 million video views, it seems like she's found a few others who enjoy playing with toys just as much as she does. She regularly posts unboxing videos, like this "Disney Mystery Minis" video, so we're excited to see what Dollastic will be opening before Force Friday.
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When "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" premieres in theaters on December 18, 2015, it is almost guaranteed to be the biggest movie in America (probably the world, too). It will also dominate on all of the country's biggest screens.
All of them. Exclusively.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, for the four weeks following the release of the anticipated film, IMAX will not be screening any other movie on any of its trademark, large-format screens.
As THR notes, this sort of complete IMAX takeover, while rare, does happen on occasion — most recently committing to all three "Hobbit" films in on fell swoop a few years back.
The why of it, of course, makes perfect sense: "The Force Awakens" is perceived to be the rare, elusive, four-quadrant hit — appealing to just about every demographic box office analysts have a metric for. That's why some of the most conservative estimates for its opening total up to $1.75 billion, while others find figures as high as $3 billion totally reasonable ("Avatar" and "Titanic," the top two movies of all time, have grossed $2.7 and $2.2 billion, respectively).
There also isn't much competition for those IMAX screens in the last month of the year — the only movie to premiere on the same day is the Tina Fey and Amy Poelher-led comedy "Sisters."
Over the four weeks after its release, the currently scheduled competition consists of auteur pictures like Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight," the biopic "Snowden," another "Alvin and the Chipmunks" movie, and the "Point Break" remake — some of which are highly anticipated, but none of which are expected to be blockbusters anywhere near the size of "Star Wars."
Just about every possible condition is in place to help ensure that "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" becomes the biggest movie ever.
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: Here are all the movies Disney will release in the next two years
When "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" hits theaters this December, one of the breakout characters is certain to be the adorable little ball droid, BB-8.
According to a lengthy new article on the making of the droid on StarWars.com, BB-8 started out as nothing more than a sketch on a napkin drawn by director J.J. Abrams himself.
While there's no official image of the sketch, it's described as a basic breakdown of BB-8's final iteration — two circles, one on top of the other, along with a little dot for an eye.
So, something akin to this:
As Abrams explained to Entertainment Weekly, the name for BB-8 came from the look of the character.
"I named him BB-8 because it was almost onomatopoeia," Abrams said. "It was sort of how he looked to me, with the 8, obviously, and then the 2 B’s."
Lucasfilm concept designer Christian Alzmann mentioned that soccer balls also helped pull together the final look of BB-8.
"When you’re on a project like that, you start looking at everything spherical for inspiration," Alzmann told StarWars.com. "I think I ran across a soccer ball, and I was just like, 'Oh, it's kind of perfect.'"
You can read the full article on the making of BB-8 here.
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NOW WATCH: We just learned a bunch of new things about the new 'Star Wars' villains
It looks like Finn (John Boyega) will be facing offer with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) in "The Force Awakens."
Lucasfilm has released a new teaser via Instagram and it shows once more Ren in the woods with his crossguard lightsaber, but it then cuts to Finn going up against him with his blue lighsaber.
Check it out.
SEE ALSO: The villains in the next "Star Wars" movie just got a lot more interesting
Join the conversation about this story »
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Disney and Lucasfilm just surprised everyone by releasing a clip showing off new footage from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
What are you waiting for? Check it out below!
The clip shows off new looks at the two leads, Rey (Daisy Ridley) accompanied by droid BB-8, and Finn (Jon Boyega) with, what's presumed to be, Luke Skywalker's old blue lightsaber!
Lucasfilm released the clip in conjunction with Instagram's announcement Thursday that the photo sharing app will allow users to share photos and videos in a wide landscape orientation in addition to square posts.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will be in theaters December 18, 2015.
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: We just learned a bunch of new things about the new 'Star Wars' villains
Thanks to Instagram, we have a precious few seconds of new footage from the next "Star Wars" movie, "The Force Awakens."
If you want to avoid spoilers or speculation about the "The Force Awakens," stop reading now.
First, watch the new clip. It's only a few seconds long.
Most of that clip comes from earlier teaser trailers. There are only two new scenes.
In the first new scene we see new character Rey with the droid BB-8. It's almost impossible to tell what's going on here. She could be looking at anything.
The second clip is way more interesting.
We see the other new main character, Finn, ignite a blue lightsaber in a snowy forest, apparently getting ready for a duel with Kylo Ren, one of the new villains. (Read more about Kylo Ren here.)
First we see the classic shot of Kylo Ren igniting his three-bladed lightsaber.
Then we see Finn get ready for the fight.
But that's not just any lightsaber in Finn's hands. It's the lightsaber Luke Skywalker lost in "The Empire Strikes Back" when Darth Vader chopped off his hand in a duel.
This one:
It goes deeper.
The lightsaber originally belonged to Darth Vader before he fell to the Dark Side and was a Jedi named Anakin Skywalker. When Anakin turned evil, he got in a duel with his master Obi Wan Kenobi who defeated him and took the lightsaber. Obi Wan then went into hiding on Tatooine, where he kept a close eye on Luke as he grew up. In "A New Hope," Obi Wan gives Luke Anakin's lightsaber.
One of the earliest plot leaks for "The Force Awakens" has to do with that lightsaber. The theory goes that even though Luke lost the lightsaber, someone finds it decades later. Eventually, the lightsaber makes its way to Finn, an ex-storm trooper who has had a change of heart and abandons the evil military group called the First Order.
Some fans believe Finn goes on a quest to find Luke, who in turn ends up training him to become a Jedi so he can face the First Order and take down Kylo Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke, the two Dark Side followers who lead the group.
The first time this theory was at least partially confirmed was when the second teaser trailer came out in April and we got a close shot of the lightsaber. It seems like someone is handing the weapon to, who is presumably, princess Leia.
So, what does it all mean?
It seems like a lot of the story in "The Force Awakens" will be centered around the lightsaber, which has a long history with Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. One common theory is that Luke has gone into hiding since we last saw him about 30 years ago. It could take Finn bringing the lightsaber to Luke that convinces Luke to come back and help save the galaxy again.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" hits theaters December 18, 2015.
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: We just learned a bunch of new things about the new 'Star Wars' villains
After a Facebook troll commented that it was hard to tell that Captain Phasma, a new character in the upcoming film "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was a woman, the Star Wars account totally shut the troll down, no "force" required.
Earlier Friday, Star Wars posted a fan art picture of Captain Phasma, the Chrome Stormtrooper who will be played by Gwendoline Christie in new movie.
Here's the post.
Not to be sexist but pic.twitter.com/1oMgXN8maW
— Amber Gordon (@missambear) August 28, 2015
MIC DROP ALERT. pic.twitter.com/IZHgEiFJQt
— John Squires (@FreddyInSpace) August 28, 2015
Okay, this was a wonderful response by the official Star Wars Facebook account https://t.co/obrr7j9oHQpic.twitter.com/RaNzTm9QnV
— Eric Goldman (@TheEricGoldman) August 28, 2015
thanks for the common-sense bomb FaceBook user Star Wars
— - ̗̀new ̖́- Josh (@JoshSuperlink) August 28, 2015
Thanks to photographer Darryll Jones, "Eric the Stormtrooper" might just be the most coolest action figure on Instagram.
Since Jones started posting photos of Eric on Instagram six year ago, he's developed quite a following. Jones has racked up over 90,000 followers and his work has been recognized by sites like Cult of Mac and the Daily Dot.
In case you're not a "Star Wars" fan, Stormtroopers are the iconic white soldiers from sci-fi series. As you might have gleaned from the permanent frowns on their face masks, they're the bad guys.
So there's something wonderfully whimsical about seeing Jones' plastic Stormtrooper fixing his motorcycle or shopping for groceries.
Check out 17 of Jones' creative Instagrams featuring Eric the Stormtrooper.
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http://instagram.com/p/6SRJOXun8b/embed/
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