Epic films have large scale, sweeping scope, and spectacle. The term is slightly ambiguous, sometimes designating a film genre and at other times simply big-budget films. Like epics in the classical literary sense, it is often focused on a heroic character. An epic's ambitious nature helps to set it apart from other genres such as the period piece or adventure film .
104-509: 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 ". Set thirty years after Return of the Jedi , The Force Awakens follows Rey , Finn , Poe Dameron , and Han Solo 's search for Luke Skywalker and their fight in
208-542: A Star Wars Tales comic entitled Apocalypse Endor , an Imperial veteran of Endor refers to the moon being devastated by the impact of falling debris from the Death Star, which was blown up while in orbit around the moon. However, another character dismisses this as a myth, saying that most of the Death Star's mass was obliterated in the explosion, and that the Rebels "took care of the rest". The Rise of Skywalker depicts
312-512: A First Order spy, also at Maz Kanata's castle. Hannah John-Kamen appears as a First Order officer. Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Kate Fleetwood play First Order Petty Officers, Thanisson and Unamo, respectively. Billie Lourd , daughter of Carrie Fisher, appears as Connix , a lieutenant in the Resistance. Members of the Resistance include Emun Elliott as Brance and Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Korr Sella while Harriet Walter appears as Kalonia,
416-609: A budget of $ 447 million, it is the most expensive film ever made . The Force Awakens premiered in Hollywood, Los Angeles , on December 14, 2015, and was released in the United States on December 18. It was positively received by critics, who found it an action-packed film with the mix of new and familiar actors capturing the nostalgia of the original trilogy and giving the franchise new energy. The film grossed $ 2.07 billion worldwide, breaking various box office records and becoming
520-747: A donation contest for UNICEF from the Star Wars set in Abu Dhabi; the winner was allowed to visit the set, meet members of the cast and appear in the film. In October, Warwick Davis, who played Wicket in Return of the Jedi , as well as Wald and Weazle in The Phantom Menace (1999), announced that he would appear in The Force Awakens , but did not reveal his role. In November, Debbie Reynolds confirmed that her granddaughter (Fisher's daughter), Billie Lourd ,
624-517: A facility in London, citing Disney's Star Wars films as a catalyst for the expansion. ILM's Vancouver branch also worked on the special effects for the film. Abrams supervised post-production and editing of the film at Bad Robot's headquarters in Santa Monica. In August 2015, he gave the film's estimated running time of 124 minutes. Abrams made changes to the film's plot in the editing process to simplify
728-547: A hydraulic door on the Millennium Falcon set fell on him, and was taken to a hospital. According to Abrams, Ford's ankle "went to a 90-degree angle". Production was suspended for two weeks because of Ford's injury. Ford's son Ben said the ankle would likely need a plate and screws and that filming could be altered slightly, with the crew needing to shoot Ford from the waist up for a short time until he recovered. A month later, Jake Steinfeld , Ford's personal trainer, said Ford
832-572: A massive scale. Biographical films may be less lavish versions of this genre. They often have a Roadshow theatrical release and are often shot on 70 mm film . Many writers may refer to any film that is "long" (over two hours) as an epic, making the definition epic a matter of dispute, and raise questions as to whether it is a "genre" at all. As Roger Ebert put it, in his "Great Movies" article on Lawrence of Arabia : The word epic in recent years has become synonymous with big-budget B picture . What you realize watching Lawrence of Arabia
936-531: A nutritionist. Abrams initially considered using Daniels only in a voice role for C-3PO, but Daniels opted to reprise the role physically as well; the production team built a new C-3PO costume to accommodate him. A flashback scene was cut from Rey's vision (following her discovery of Luke's lightsaber), which would have featured Robert Boulter standing in for Luke as he appeared in his duel with Vader in The Empire Strikes Back . In May, Abrams announced
1040-615: A planet converted into a superweapon, Supreme Leader Snoke approves General Hux 's request to use the weapon for the first time on the New Republic. Snoke questions Kylo's ability to deal with emotions surrounding his father, Han Solo, whom Kylo states means nothing to him. Aboard the Falcon , Han determines that BB-8's map is incomplete. He then explains that Luke attempted to rebuild the Jedi Order but exiled himself when an apprentice turned to
1144-485: A remote-controlled BB-8 developed by Sphero . Sphero had participated in a Disney-run startup accelerator in July 2014, where they were invited into a private meeting with Disney CEO Bob Iger, in which they were shown on-set photos and imagery of BB-8 before its public unveiling. Many retailers, such as Toys "R" Us , were unable to meet demand for Star Wars products due to the event. Select characters, scenes and locations from
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#17328990657441248-401: A rock concert—that felt quite like that". The trailer was viewed over 88 million times within the first 24 hours of release. The trailer shows many of the new characters and the first footage of Chewbacca and Han Solo. The Huffington Post ' s Graham Milne wrote that the trailer "was an affirmation of something that we'd long been told was never going to happen. This was a gift. This
1352-636: A scavenger on Jakku who rides a semi-mechanical Luggabeast. Jessica Henwick appears as Jess "Testor" Pava or Jess Testor, an X-wing pilot. Brian Vernel appears as Bala-Tik, the leader of the Guavian Death Gang. Yayan Ruhian and Iko Uwais appear as Tasu Leech and Razoo Qin-Fee, members of the Kanjiklub Gang, a criminal organization. Warwick Davis appears as Wollivan, a tavern-dweller in Maz Kanata's castle. Anna Brewster appears as Bazine Netal ,
1456-434: A series of at least 20 books and comics, " Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens ", which were released by multiple publishers starting in late 2015, prior to the film's premiere. The series includes books by Del Rey and Disney-Lucasfilm publishers and comic books from Marvel Comics . All titles under the program are canonical to the Star Wars universe. Alan Dean Foster wrote a novelization of The Force Awakens which
1560-532: A seventh entry in the "Skywalker Saga" commenced after the Walt Disney Company 's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012. The film is the first Star Wars film to not extensively involve franchise creator George Lucas , who only served as a creative consultant in the early stages of production. The Force Awakens was produced by Abrams, his longtime collaborator Bryan Burk , and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy . Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan , co-writer of
1664-733: A smooth transition and that "everybody's got a say in how we move forward with this". Daisy Ridley later recounted that J. J. Abrams had written drafts for episodes 8 and 9. A fictional language was developed for use in the film by YouTube star Sara Forsberg , who created the viral video series "What Languages Sound Like To Foreigners"; Forsberg developed the language by studying various languages, such as Hindi and Gujarati. In November 2015, Lucas recorded an hour-long interview with CBS News reporter Charlie Rose in which he said Disney had not been "keen" to involve him and conceded: "If I get in there, I'm just going to cause trouble because they're not going to do what I want them to do, and I don't have
1768-669: A total of £31.6 million ($ 47.4 million) from the government. Beginning in September 2013, production spaces at the Bad Robot facility were converted for shooting of The Force Awakens for the benefit of shooting a minor portion of the film in the United States. The film's costume designer was Michael Kaplan , who had previously worked with Abrams on the films Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013). Film editors Mary Jo Markey and Maryann Brandon , long-term collaborators with Abrams, were also signed. In August 2013, it
1872-456: A traitor during the battle on Takodana , was portrayed by stunt performer Liang Yang and voiced by sound editor David Acord . Star Wars creator George Lucas discussed ideas for a sequel trilogy several times after the conclusion of the original trilogy , but denied any intent to make it. A seventh entry in the " Skywalker Saga ", a nine-part Star Wars series, began development shortly after Lucas sold his production company Lucasfilm to
1976-452: Is more than two hours long. Lin-Manuel Miranda and Abrams contributed music to the film's cantina scene. Abrams met Miranda at a performance of his Broadway musical Hamilton , where Miranda jokingly offered to compose cantina music, should it be needed. Unknown to Miranda, Williams had previously told Abrams that he did not want to compose the music for that scene, wanting to focus on the orchestral score. Abrams then contacted Miranda, and
2080-488: Is sort of that gravity pulling us back toward it. I think that more and more people are hitting kind of a critical mass in terms of the CG-driven action scene lending itself to a very specific type of action scene, where physics go out the window and it becomes so big so quick." Abrams' intention in prioritizing practical special effects was to recreate the visual realism and authenticity of the original Star Wars . To that end,
2184-479: Is that the word epic refers not to the cost or the elaborate production, but to the size of the ideas and vision. Werner Herzog's Aguirre: The Wrath of God didn't cost as much as the catering in Pearl Harbor , but it is an epic, and Pearl Harbor is not. The epic is among the oldest of film genres, with one early notable example being Giovanni Pastrone 's Cabiria , a two-and-a-half hour silent film about
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#17328990657442288-412: The Falcon , Han, Chewbacca, and Finn infiltrate the facility, find Rey, and plant explosives. Han confronts Kylo, calling him by his birth-name Ben, and implores him to abandon the dark side. Kylo seems to consider this but ultimately kills Han. Chewbacca shoots Kylo, injuring him, and sets off the explosives, allowing Poe to attack and destroy the base's thermal oscillator. Kylo pursues Rey and Finn into
2392-554: The Punic Wars , which laid the groundwork for the subsequent silent epics of D. W. Griffith . The genre reached a peak of popularity in the early 1960s, when Hollywood frequently collaborated with foreign film studios (such as Rome's Cinecittà ) to use relatively exotic locations in Spain, Morocco and elsewhere for the production of epic films such as El Cid (1961) or Lawrence of Arabia (1962). The genre soon spread to other regions of
2496-640: The Resistance , led by General Leia Organa and veterans of the Rebel Alliance , against Kylo Ren and the First Order , a successor to the Galactic Empire . The ensemble cast includes Harrison Ford , Mark Hamill , Carrie Fisher , Adam Driver , Daisy Ridley , John Boyega , Oscar Isaac , Lupita Nyong'o , Andy Serkis , Domhnall Gleeson , Anthony Daniels , Peter Mayhew , and Max von Sydow . Work on
2600-646: The Star Wars expanded universe, though other elements could be included, as with the TV series Star Wars Rebels . Abrams stated that he purposely withheld some plot elements from The Force Awakens , such as Rey and Finn's last names and backgrounds. Kennedy admitted that "we haven't mapped out every single detail [of the sequel trilogy] yet", but said that Abrams was collaborating with The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson , and that Johnson would work with The Rise of Skywalker ' s then-director Colin Trevorrow to ensure
2704-523: The Windows Store , allowed players to battle on the planet Takodana during the Galactic Civil War era; and a condensed version of the film's plot becomes an add-on "playset" in the toys-to-life game Disney Infinity 3.0 , with Finn, Rey, Poe Dameron, and Kylo Ren as playable characters. Eventually, the film got a full Lego video game adaptation, titled Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens , which
2808-472: The highest-grossing film in the United States and Canada , the highest-grossing film of 2015 , and the third-highest-grossing film at the time of its release . It was nominated for five awards at the 88th Academy Awards and received numerous other accolades . The film was followed by The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019), rounding out the Star Wars sequel trilogy . Thirty years after
2912-530: The original trilogy films The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi , rewrote an initial script by Michael Arndt . John Williams , composer for the previous episodic films, returned to compose the score . Principal photography began in April 2014 and concluded the following November. Filming took place on sets at Pinewood Studios in England, and on location mainly in Abu Dhabi, Iceland, and Ireland. On
3016-573: The "epic" film, encompassing such examples as Ben-Hur , Gone with the Wind and more recently, 300 and the Star Wars films [...] none of these comes from literary epics per se , and there is little that links them with one another. Among those who espouse film genre studies, epic is one of the most despised and ignored genres". Finally, although the American Movie Channel formally defines epic films as historical films, they nonetheless state
3120-629: The Battle of Endor , the First Order has risen from the fallen Galactic Empire and seeks to end the New Republic . The Resistance , led by General Leia Organa , opposes the First Order. Leia searches for her twin brother, Luke Skywalker , who is missing. On the desert planet Jakku , Resistance pilot Poe Dameron receives a map to Luke's location. First Order stormtroopers commanded by Kylo Ren arrive and capture Poe. His droid, BB-8 , escapes with
3224-584: The Jedi novelization , the planet disappeared in an ancient cataclysm. The Ewok television films depict a gas giant in the sky, and novels such as The Truce at Bakura and Dark Apprentice also mention a planet visible from the moon. The planet is called "Tana" in the Ewoks animated series, which depicts a binary star system (while other sources depict only one sun). According to the Star Wars Databank , this "can be attributed to Ewok lore and myth". In
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3328-781: The United Kingdom and the United States in November 2013 for the roles of "Rachel" and "Thomas". Casting began in earnest in January 2014, because of changes to the script by Kasdan and Abrams. Screen tests with actors continued until at least three weeks before the official announcement in April 2014, with final casting decisions made only a few weeks earlier. Actors testing had strict nondisclosure agreements, preventing them, their agents or their publicists from commenting on their involvement. Though Lucas intimated that previous cast members Carrie Fisher , Harrison Ford , and Mark Hamill would return for
3432-516: The United Kingdom. Representatives from Lucasfilm met with Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne to agree to produce The Force Awakens in the UK. Osborne committed £25 million of public money towards the film, claiming it was a boost for British culture and its film industry. According to production company account filings in the United Kingdom, The Force Awakens ultimately received
3536-457: The United States and Canada and in theaters worldwide in December 2014. It was also released on YouTube and the iTunes Store , generating 58.2 million views on YouTube in its first week. Critics compared the brief footage favorably to the production values of the original trilogy. The Hollywood Reporter called the trailer "perfectly potent nostalgia", praising its mix of old and new. Empire
3640-481: The Walt Disney Company in October 2012. Speaking alongside Lucasfilm's new president, Kathleen Kennedy , Lucas said: "I always said I wasn't going to do any more and that's true, because I'm not going to do any more, but that doesn't mean I'm unwilling to turn it over to Kathy to do more." As creative consultant on the film, Lucas attended early story meetings and advised on the details of the Star Wars universe . Among
3744-580: The Wind is the highest-grossing film ever, with two other romantic epics ( Titanic and Doctor Zhivago ) also featuring among the global top ten. So far the most Academy Awards ever won by a single film stands at eleven. This feat has only been achieved by three films: Ben-Hur (1959), Titanic (1997) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), all of which are above three hours long and considered epic films. The previous record holder
3848-480: The appearance of their Google websites. Additionally, Disney teamed up with Verizon to create a virtual-reality experience for Google Cardboard . On December 17, 2015, select theaters across the United States and Canada aired a Star Wars marathon, airing the six previous Star Wars episode films in 2D, followed by The Force Awakens in 3D . Attendees received a special lanyard featuring exclusive marathon art. Disney Publishing Worldwide and Lucasfilm announced
3952-526: The basis of their enormous scope and the sweeping panorama of their settings such as How the West Was Won or East of Eden that do not have the typical substance of classical epics but are directed in an epic style. When described as "epic" because of content, an epic movie is often set during a time of war or other societal crisis, while usually covering a longer span of time sometimes throughout entire generations coming and passing away, in terms of both
4056-801: The cast, was credited as "consultant" for R2-D2 , with Jimmy Vee performing some of the work for R2-D2. Ewan McGregor has an uncredited vocal cameo as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Rey's vision sequence, while archival audio of Frank Oz and Alec Guinness as Yoda and Kenobi, respectively, are also used in the same scene; Oz recorded new dialogue for the film, but it was replaced with preexisting audio from The Empire Strikes Back . Star Wars: The Clone Wars voice actor James Arnold Taylor , who has voiced Obi-Wan Kenobi in different Star Wars media, originally recorded Kenobi's dialogue, but his recordings were replaced with McGregor's. Gwendoline Christie portrays Captain Phasma ,
4160-417: The cast; while Ford, Hamill, Fisher, Anthony Daniels , Peter Mayhew , and Baker reprised their roles from the original trilogy. In June, cast additions Lupita Nyong'o and Gwendoline Christie were announced. To prepare for his role, Hamill was assigned a personal trainer and a nutritionist at the request of the producers, who wanted him to resemble an older Luke. Fisher was also assigned a personal trainer and
4264-463: The commander of the First Order's legions of stormtroopers. Dave Chapman and Brian Herring served as puppeteers for BB-8 , with Bill Hader and Ben Schwartz credited as "Vocal Consultants". Ken Leung appears as Statura, an admiral in the Resistance. Simon Pegg appears as Unkar Plutt, the Junk parts dealer on Jakku. Greg Grunberg plays Temmin "Snap" Wexley , an X-wing pilot. Kiran Shah plays Teedo,
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4368-426: The control to do that any more, and all it would do is just muck everything up." He also said, "They wanted to do a retro movie. I don't like that. Every movie, I worked very hard to make them different [...] I made them completely different—different planets, different spaceships to make it new." In early December 2015, Kathleen Kennedy told The Hollywood Reporter that Lucas had seen the movie and "liked it". In
4472-549: The creative executive at the Lucasfilm Story Group which handles all the canonical continuity for the Star Wars universe, revealed that the working title for the film was Shadow of the Empire "for the longest time". In July 2013, John Williams was confirmed to return to compose the sequel trilogy, beginning with The Force Awakens . He began working on the film in December 2014, and by June 2015 had been through most of
4576-467: The dark side, destroyed Luke's temple, and slaughtered the other apprentices. The crew travels to the planet Takodana and meets with cantina owner Maz Kanata , who offers help getting BB-8 to the Resistance. The Force draws Rey to a secluded vault, where she finds Anakin Skywalker 's lightsaber . She experiences disturbing visions, including a childhood memory of a ship leaving her on Jakku. Rey denies
4680-812: The doctor who tends to Chewbacca. Mark Stanley appears as a Knight of Ren. Sebastian Armesto portrays Lieutenant Mitaka and Pip Torrens portrays Colonel Kaplan, both serving the First Order. Daniel Craig , Michael Giacchino , and Nigel Godrich cameo as stormtroopers. Abrams' assistant, Morgan Dameron, appears as a Resistance officer, while his father, Gerald W. Abrams , appears as Captain Cypress. Dialect coach Andrew Jack portrays Resistance Major Caluan Ematt. Additionally, Crystal Clarke, Pip Andersen, Christina Chong , Miltos Yerolemou , Amybeth Hargreaves, Leanne Best , Judah Friedlander , and Kevin Smith appear in minor roles. Riot control stormtrooper FN-2199 , who calls Finn
4784-444: The droid BB-8 was a physical prop developed by Disney Research , created by special effects artist Neal Scanlan and operated live on set with the actors. The Holochess sequence was created using stop-motion, which was supervised by Tippett Studio and overseen by Phil Tippett , who also worked on the stop-motion sequence in the original Star Wars film. In February 2014, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) announced plans to open
4888-745: The earlier films. Recording sessions for The Force Awakens began in June 2015 at the Sony Pictures Studios ' Barbra Streisand Scoring Stage in Culver City , with William Ross conducting most of the music. The first day of recording was June 1, 2015. Williams attended the sessions and conducted the remainder of the recordings in Los Angeles. The score was recorded in 12 sessions within a five-month period between June and mid-November. The 90-piece orchestra recorded 175 minutes of music; however, Abrams reedited
4992-456: The end of October, Air France announced a "Flight and Cinema" package, providing customers who book select flights to Paris transportation to a theater to see the film, since France was one of the first countries to release the film. On November 23, a partnership with Google was announced, in which Google users could choose to affiliate themselves with either the Dark or Light Side, which would change
5096-449: The epic film may be combined with the genre of science-fiction and cite Star Wars as an example. Stylistically, films classed as epic usually employ spectacular settings and specially designed costumes, often accompanied by a sweeping musical score, and an ensemble cast of bankable stars . Epics are usually among the most expensive of films to produce. They often use on-location filming, authentic period costumes , and action scenes on
5200-426: The epic is often credited to their ability to appeal to a wide audience. Several of the highest-grossing films of all-time have been epics. James Cameron 's 1997 film Titanic , which is cited as helping to revive the genre, grossed $ 1.8 billion at cinemas worldwide to become the highest-grossing film—a record it held for twelve years. If inflation is taken into account, then the historical romantic epic Gone with
5304-452: The event's attendees. In October 2015, Lucasfilm unveiled the theatrical release poster and a third trailer. The poster omitted Luke Skywalker and revealed a Death Star-like "orb". The trailer debuted during the halftime break of Monday Night Football , before being released online. The reaction to the trailer by fans on social media was "frenzied", with Lizo Mzimba of the BBC writing that "perhaps
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#17328990657445408-402: The events depicted and the running time of the film. Such films usually have a historical setting, although speculative fiction (i.e. fantasy or science fiction ) settings have become common in recent decades. The central conflict of the film is usually seen as having far-reaching effects, often changing the course of history. The main characters' actions are often central to the resolution of
5512-460: The film became part of other Star Wars video games: Characters from the film were added to an update to the mobile game Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes , available for iOS and Android and released by Electronic Arts ; free downloadable content for Electronic Arts' Star Wars Battlefront reboot allowed players to battle on the planet Jakku; an update to the mobile game Star Wars Commander , released by Disney Mobile for iOS, Android and
5616-400: The film reels, working on a daily basis. In May 2015, Williams said he would return to themes from the previous films, such as those for Luke, Leia, and Han, in ways that "there are a few that I think are important and will seem very much a part of the fabric of the piece in a positive and constructive way." He said that working with Abrams was similar to the process he went through with Lucas in
5720-417: The film were being shot in the 65 mm IMAX format. In July, Bad Robot reported via Twitter that the film would be at least partially shot on IMAX cameras. Principal photography began in Abu Dhabi on May 16, 2014. The budget was initially estimated to be between $ 259 million and $ 306 million, but in 2023 financial accounts revealed the gross spend was $ 533 million and the net cost after tax breaks
5824-434: The film's use of practical sets and effects. It was positively received, with Nigel M. Smith of The Guardian writing: "The featurette's angle is a strong one and connects with fans of the original trilogy in an incredibly poignant way. It also does a sly job of teasing Fisher's new look as Leia and Simon Pegg's mysterious involvement as a rumored alien in the movie, without actually showing the actors in action." Smith compared
5928-431: The film, by removing some sequences shown in trailers: "At one point, Maz used to continue along with the characters back to the Resistance base, but we realised that she really had nothing to do there of value [...] So we ended up leaving those things out." The final cut of the film runs for 138 minutes. On November 6, 2014, the film's title was announced as Star Wars: The Force Awakens . In December 2015, Pablo Hidalgo ,
6032-405: The film, which discarded, modified, or rerecorded the score's part for nearly an hour. Williams' theme for Snoke was recorded by a 24-voice men's chorus. Gustavo Dudamel conducted the opening and end title music for the film at Williams' behest. Recording of the score was completed on November 14, 2015. The film's soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records on December 18, 2015. Williams' score
6136-416: The film. That same month, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, an "unknown Oxford actress", and Dev Patel were up for unknown roles. Ronan, Richardson-Sellers, Courtney Eaton , Eiza Gonzalez , Elizabeth Olsen and Jessica Henwick auditioned for Rey. Joseph David-Jones , Tom Holland , and Daryl McCormack were later reported to have auditioned for Finn while McCormack made it to the final round of auditions for
6240-462: The film. The role Sheridan met for was ultimately rewritten to be played by a 40 year old actor, while Weaving was in talks for an "Imperial commander". Ronan, Jordan, Frida Gustavsson , and later Miles Teller would go on to confirm their auditions for the film. Industry publications speculated that Plemons could possibly be playing Luke Skywalker's son. In February, Driver was in final negotiations for an unnamed villain, while Gary Oldman revealed he
6344-530: The galaxy 's Outer Rim Territories. Located in grid square H-16 on the Standard Galactic Grid, it was connected to Cerea and Bakura by a hyperspace route. Other nearby planets in the H-16 sector include Rattatak , Bunduki, Tirracles, Ponemah, and Firrerre. The planet was orbited by nine moons, the largest of which was known as the forest moon of Endor or "sanctuary moon". The ocean moon of Kef Bir
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#17328990657446448-512: The lightsaber at Maz's offering and flees into the woods. Maz gives Finn the lightsaber for safekeeping. Starkiller Base destroys the New Republic capital and its four neighboring planets, leaving the Resistance on their own. The First Order attacks Takodana in search of BB-8 . Han, Chewbacca, and Finn are saved by Resistance X-wing fighters led by Poe, who survived the crash. Leia arrives at Takodana with C-3PO and reunites with Han. Meanwhile, Kylo captures Rey, having realized that she had seen
6552-476: The map and encounters Rey , a lone scavenger. Kylo tortures Poe using the Force and learns of BB-8 . Stormtrooper FN-2187 , disillusioned with the First Order, saves Poe, and they escape in a stolen TIE fighter . Upon learning that FN-2187 has no other name, Poe names him "Finn". As they head to Jakku to retrieve BB-8 , a First Order Star Destroyer shoots them, and they crash-land. Finn survives and assumes Poe
6656-452: The map, and takes her to Starkiller Base, but she resists his mind-reading attempts. Snoke orders Kylo to bring Rey to him. Discovering she can use the Force, Rey escapes using a Jedi mind trick on a stormtrooper guard. At the Resistance base, BB-8 finds R2-D2 , who had been in low-power mode since Luke's disappearance. As Starkiller Base prepares to fire once more, the Resistance plans to destroy it by attacking its thermal oscillator. Using
6760-454: The marketing strategy for the film to that of a previous Abrams film, Super 8 , saying "the promos [...] are notable for what they tease, not what they give away." Walt Disney Studios and Lucasfilm presented a look at The Force Awakens at Disney's D23 Expo in August 2015. Drew Struzan —who designed the poster artwork for the previous Star Wars films—produced a commemorative poster given to
6864-401: The materials he turned over to the production team were his rough story treatments for Episodes VII–IX , which Lucas requested be read only by Kennedy, Bob Iger , Alan F. Horn , and Kevin A. Mayer . Lucas later said Disney had discarded his story ideas and that he had no further involvement with the film. Lucas' son Jett told The Guardian that his father was "very torn" about having sold
6968-409: The most significant thing about the final trailer before the film's release is how little of the story it reveals." Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph felt the trailer was "a perfect blend of old and new, in keeping with the old-fashioned Star Wars aesthetic". The trailer received 128 million views in 24 hours. 16 million of the views came from its airing on Monday Night Football . At
7072-546: The names of several characters. On April 16, 2015, a second teaser trailer, this one lasting two minutes, was shown at the opening panel at the Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California . Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said the reaction to the trailer was "staggering [...] the entire room of almost eight thousand people just leapt to their feet and roared, I mean I can't think of anything I've ever been to—other than
7176-665: The new film as early as March 2013, their casting was not confirmed until over a year later. Abrams set out to have a more diverse cast than previous installments. A very early report claimed the studio wanted Ryan Gosling , Leonardo DiCaprio and Zac Efron for roles. In September 2013, Michael B. Jordan , Saoirse Ronan , and David Oyelowo were among the first to meet with the director. In January 2014, The Hollywood Reporter revealed Benedict Cumberbatch , Jack O'Connell , Chiwetel Ejiofor , Alex Pettyfer , Jesse Plemons , Sullivan Stapleton , Tye Sheridan , Hugo Weaving , Michael Fassbender , and Adam Driver all met with Abrams for
7280-902: The northwest of England. Production was halted for two weeks in early August 2014 so Abrams could rework shooting in Ford's absence and resumed with a fully healed Ford in mid-August. In September, the former RAF Greenham Common military base in Berkshire was used and featured set constructions of several spaceships. Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean Gloucestershire England was used for some scenes. Principal photography ended on November 3, 2014. Kennedy said The Force Awakens would use real locations and models over computer-generated imagery . Johnson reiterated that Abrams would use little CGI and more practical, traditional special effects, saying: "I think people are coming back around to [practical effects]. It feels like there
7384-406: The official launch of all the merchandise for The Force Awakens . Beginning at 12:01 am, fans could buy toys, books, clothing and various other products at Disney Stores and other retailers throughout the world. Disney and Maker Studios hosted an 18-hour live-streaming presentation on YouTube, showcasing multiple merchandise products beginning on September 3, 2015. Among these products were
7488-507: The original Star Tours Disney theme park attraction , Ewok TV movies The Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor , as well as the animated Ewoks and its Marvel Comics tie-in series. Various descriptions of the Endor system exist in various media. Special effects storyboards for Return of the Jedi refer to a distant orb in the system as "Planet Endor". According to the Return of
7592-451: The overall trilogy. Early drafts had Luke Skywalker appear midway through the film, but Arndt found that "every time Luke came in and entered the movie, he just took it over. Suddenly you didn't care about your main character anymore." The writers decided to use Luke as the film's MacGuffin and, as something that the protagonists needed to find, would not appear in person until the final scene. Arndt also developed some backstory elements for
7696-566: The part. Eddie Redmayne and Joel Kinnaman tested for Kylo Ren. Daisy Ridley was cast by February 2014, and by the end of that month a deal had been worked out with Driver, who was able to work around his Girls schedule. Talks with Andy Serkis and Oscar Isaac began by March and continued into April. Denis Lawson , who played Wedge Antilles in the original trilogy, declined to reprise his role, saying it would have "bored" him. In April, Ridley, Boyega, Isaac, Driver, Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson , and Max von Sydow were announced as part of
7800-664: The poetic genre exemplified by such works as the Epic of Gilgamesh and the works of the Trojan War Cycle . In classical literature, epics are considered works focused on deeds or journeys of heroes upon which the fate of many people depends. Similarly, films described as "epic" typically take a historical character, or a mythic heroic figure. Common subjects of epics are royalty , gladiators , great military leaders, or leading personalities from various periods in world history. However, there are some films described as "epic" almost solely on
7904-464: The rest of the map, which points to the oceanic planet Ahch-To . Rey, Chewbacca, and R2-D2 travel to Ahch-To on the Falcon . Rey finds Luke atop a cliff on a remote island and presents him with his lightsaber. Tim Rose and Mike Quinn reprise their respective roles as Admiral Ackbar and Nien Nunb from Return of the Jedi , with Erik Bauersfeld and Kipsang Rotich returning their respective voices. Kenny Baker , originally announced as part of
8008-512: The returning characters from the original trilogy, such as how Leia was instrumental in rebuilding the Republic after the fall of the Empire before being discredited when it was publicly revealed that her biological father was Darth Vader (this would go on to become a central plot point in the canonical novel Star Wars: Bloodline ). Several directors were considered, including David Fincher , Brad Bird , Jon Favreau , and Guillermo del Toro . Bird
8112-441: The rights to the franchise and that his father was "there to guide" but that "he wants to let it go and become its new generation". The Force Awakens ' first screenplay was written by Michael Arndt . At the time of his hiring, Arndt was also tapped to pen story treatments for the following installments. Arndt took part in a writers room with Simon Kinberg , Lawrence Kasdan , Pablo Hidalgo , and Kiri Hart to discuss and plan
8216-485: The same month, at the Kennedy Center Honors , Lucas stated, "I think the fans are going to love it, It's very much the kind of movie they've been looking for." Abrams felt that, as the first in a new trilogy, the film "needed to take a couple of steps backwards into very familiar terrain" and use plot elements from previous Star Wars films. In May 2013, it was confirmed that The Force Awakens would be filmed in
8320-557: The semi-sentient Gorax and Wistie species. The Endor solar cycle is 402 GSC days orbital, with a breathable earth-like atmosphere conducive for humans, 85% Standard Gravity and 8% surface water. It is where Darth Vader's funeral is held. The moon orbits Tana —the Ewokese word for Endor's host planet—a gas giant located in the Endor system , a star system positioned in the Moddell sector of
8424-464: The societal conflict. In its classification of films by genre, the American Film Institute limits the genre to historical films such as Ben-Hur . However, film scholars such as Constantine Santas are willing to extend the label to science-fiction films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars . Lynn Ramey suggests that "Surely one of the hardest film genres to define is that of
8528-509: The start of official filming in May, consisting of landscape shots that would be used for scenery in the film. In April, Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn confirmed that filming had begun, filming in secret in the United Arab Emirates around Liwa Oasis , part of the emirate of Abu Dhabi , by a second unit. Later that month, it was revealed that in addition to 35 mm film, segments of
8632-484: The story while walking in Santa Monica, California , New York City, Paris, and London. The first draft was completed in six weeks. Abrams said the key to the film was that it return to the roots of the first Star Wars films and be based more on emotion than explanation. In January 2014, Abrams confirmed that the script was complete. In April 2014, Lucasfilm clarified that Episodes VII–IX would not feature storylines from
8736-433: The two collaborated on the music for the scene over a period of two months. Disney backed The Force Awakens with extensive marketing campaigns. Deadline Hollywood estimated the media value was $ 175 million; its costs alongside home media revenues had later risen to $ 423 million by The Guardian . On November 28, 2014, Lucasfilm released an 88-second teaser trailer . It was screened in selected cinemas across
8840-422: The woods and incapacitates Rey. Finn uses the lightsaber to duel Kylo but is quickly defeated. Rey awakens, takes the lightsaber, and defeats Kylo in a duel. Snoke orders Hux to evacuate and bring Kylo to him to complete his training. Chewbacca saves Rey and the injured Finn, and they escape aboard the Falcon . As the Resistance forces flee, Starkiller Base implodes and erupts into a star. R2-D2 awakens and reveals
8944-617: The world, such as India where it's flourishing Bollywood industry produced the landmark Mughal-E Azam (1960), which is widely considered as one of the greatest films of all time and a milestone in Asian epics. This boom period of international co-productions is generally considered to have ended with Cleopatra (1963), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) and Doctor Zhivago (1965). Nevertheless, films in this genre continued to appear, with one notable example being War and Peace , which
9048-514: The wreckage of the second Death Star in a watery location, named Kef Bir, an ocean moon featured in the film that orbits the same gas giant as the forest moon. Wicket W. Warrick and his son Pommet appear briefly at the end of The Rise of Skywalker , at the sky after the destruction of a Resurgent -class Star Destroyer. Endor is located in the same sector as planets like Firrerre, Rattatak, Tirracles, and Bunduki, among others. Scenes set on Endor were filmed on private logging company land that
9152-438: Was Gone with the Wind (1939), also an epic, with ten awards. Endor (Star Wars) Endor (designated: IX3244-A ) is a fictional moon in the Star Wars universe , known for its endless forests, savannahs, grasslands, mountain ranges, and a few oceans. The moon was the site of a pivotal battle depicted in Return of the Jedi . It is the homeworld of the sentient Dulok , Ewok , and Yuzzum species, as well as
9256-463: Was $ 447 million. Abrams and the cast members went to Abu Dhabi in early May, where large sets were built on location—including a shuttle-like spacecraft, a large tower, and a big market—and where explosives were used to create a "blast crater". Cast members were spotted practicing driving vehicles that would be used during filming. Production moved to Pinewood Studios in June. That same month, Harrison Ford fractured his leg while filming at Pinewood after
9360-434: Was also one of these moons, and is the location where the second Death Star crashed after it exploded over Endor in Return of the Jedi . It also had two suns: Endor Prime I and Endor Prime II . The forest moon of Endor first appears in Return of the Jedi , in which it is the body in whose orbit the second Death Star is constructed, and is the home of a race of furry aliens called Ewoks . The moon later appears in
9464-566: Was announced that cinematographer Daniel Mindel would be shooting the film on 35 mm film (specifically Kodak 5219 ). In October 2013, other crew members were confirmed, including sound designer Ben Burtt , director of photography Mindel, production designers Rick Carter and Darren Gilford, costume designer Michael Kaplan, special effects supervisor Chris Corbould , re-recording mixer Gary Rydstrom , supervising sound editor Matthew Wood, visual effects supervisors Roger Guyett, and executive producer Jason McGatlin. Open auditions were held in
9568-465: Was approached for an undisclosed role. In March, John Boyega , Plemons, Ray Fisher , Matthew James Thomas and Ed Speleers were Abrams' top choice for the lead role. Boyega began talks after dropping out of the Jesse Owens biopic Race . That same month, Lupita Nyong'o was said to have met also met with Abrams for the female lead. In April 2014, Plemons and Thomas were no longer in contention for
9672-406: Was faith rewarded. About damn time." Vanity Fair was the first magazine to release an exclusive cover issue devoted to The Force Awakens . The magazine, released on May 7, 2015, featured exclusive interviews and photos of the cast photographed by Annie Leibovitz . At the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con , in addition to a panel with many of the actors, a behind-the-scenes look at the film demonstrated
9776-427: Was impressed by the continuity with the first films—"the feel of classic Star Wars "—but noted the absence of Hamill, Ford, and Fisher and speculated about the significance of the new characters. The Guardian wrote that the use of the Star Wars fanfare by John Williams reinforced brand loyalty among fans. On December 11, 2014, Abrams and Kennedy released a series of eight mock Topps trading cards revealing
9880-609: Was in the film. Lourd first auditioned for the role of Rey prior to her casting. In February 2014, Abrams said filming would begin in May and last about three months. The official announcement came in March, when Disney and Lucasfilm announced that principal photography would commence in May and be based at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire , England. That month, it was revealed that pre-production filming would take place in Iceland prior to
9984-410: Was killed after finding his jacket in the wreck. Finn encounters Rey and BB-8 , but the First Order tracks them and launches an airstrike. Rey, Finn, and BB-8 steal the Millennium Falcon and escape Jakku. The Falcon is discovered and boarded by Han Solo and Chewbacca . Gangs seeking to settle debts with Han attack, but the group escapes in the Falcon . At the First Order's Starkiller Base ,
10088-486: Was named director in January 2013, with Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg as project consultants. Kasdan worked to convince Abrams to direct the film after the filmmaker initially rejected the offer. Arndt worked on the script for eight months, but said he needed 18 more, which was more time than Disney or Abrams could give him. The production announced Arndt's exit from the project on October 24, 2013. That same day, Kasdan and Abrams took over script duties, both of whom planned
10192-578: Was originally scheduled for a mid-2015 release, but in November 2013, it was pushed back to December 18, 2015. It was also released in 3D, RealD 3D and IMAX 3D formats. Epic film Epic historical films would usually take a historical or a mythical event and add an extravagant setting, lavish costumes, an expansive musical score , and an ensemble cast , which would make them extremely expensive to produce. The most common subjects of epic films are royalty and important figures from various periods in world history. The term "epic" originally came from
10296-492: Was recovering rapidly. Abrams also suffered a fractured vertebra in his back when he was trying to help lift the door after Ford's accident, but he kept this to himself for over a month. In February 2016, it was reported that the Health and Safety Executive brought four criminal charges against Disney subsidiary Foodles Production (UK), Ltd. for alleged health and safety breaches relating to Ford's accident. Foodles Production (UK) Ltd
10400-483: Was released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment on June 28, 2016. Star Wars: The Force Awakens premiered on December 14, 2015, at the TCL Chinese Theatre , El Capitan Theatre , and Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles . A white tent stretched along Hollywood Boulevard from Orange Drive to Highland Avenue , covering the "massive" premiere event that hosted more than five thousand guests. The film
10504-418: Was released in e-book form on December 18. In an effort to avoid revealing plot details before the film's release, the print release of the novelization was delayed until January 2016. Marvel Comics published a six-issue comic book adaptation of The Force Awakens between June and November 2016. Disney Consumer Products and Lucasfilm announced that September 4, 2015 would be deemed "Force Friday" and would be
10608-448: Was released in the former Soviet Union during 1967–1968. Epic films continue to be produced, although since the development of CGI they typically use computer effects instead of an actual cast of thousands. Since the 1950s, such films have regularly been shot with a wide aspect ratio for a more immersive and panoramic theatrical experience. Epic films were recognized in a montage at the 2006 Academy Awards . The enduring popularity of
10712-434: Was reportedly the "top choice" to helm the film, but his commitments to Tomorrowland forced him to withdraw. Matthew Vaughn was an early candidate for the job, even dropping out of X-Men: Days of Future Past in favor for the film. Colin Trevorrow was also under consideration by the studio, while Ben Affleck and Neill Blomkamp passed on the project. After a suggestion by Steven Spielberg to Kennedy, J. J. Abrams
10816-462: Was subsequently fined $ 1.95 million in October 2016 for two health and safety breaches, after admitting the counts at an earlier hearing. On July 28, 2014, filming took place over three days at Skellig Michael , an island off the coast of County Kerry , Ireland, with a cast including Mark Hamill and Daisy Ridley. Landscape shots for the planet Takodana were shot in July in the Lake District in
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