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167-649: Starting with The Force Awakens (2015), a new model of X-wing was introduced, which has gone on to play a prominent role in the Star Wars sequel trilogy . The T-70 X-wing, flown by the Resistance in their fight against the First Order , is depicted as the successor to the T-65. Although described as being an improvement over the original, in the expanded literature this new X-wing is itself considered outdated, having been replaced by

334-682: A 3 ⁄ 4 -size replica is on display at the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum in Denver . In 2018, a number of Star Wars starfighters had their aerodynamic abilities tested using the Autodesk Flow Design virtual wind tunnel program. When tested, the classic T-65 X-wing design had a drag coefficient of 0.45, which is only slightly better than the coefficient of a sphere. The newer T-70 X-wing flown by Poe Dameron ( Oscar Isaac )

501-683: A Star Wars -themed full-sized car, this time was a depiction of the X-wing (dubbed as the 'carship', a combination of 'starships' and 'cars') to coincide the release of the Star Wars Carships line. The car's design was said to be inspired by most of the open- wheeled race cars. It was showcased at San Diego Comic-Con that year and currently as part of the Garage of Legends car collection. The Force Awakens Star Wars: The Force Awakens (also known as Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens )

668-410: A 76-piece miniature X-wing/TIE advanced kit, a 263-piece X-wing (1999/2002), a 563-piece X-wing kit with Yoda's Hut (2004), a 437-piece X-Wing (2006), a 560-piece X-wing (2012), a 730-piece X-wing (2018), and a 474-piece Luke Skywalker's X-wing Fighter (2021). A 1,304-piece "Ultimate Collector's" model was released in 2000. A new "Ultimate Collector's" model with 1,559 pieces was released in 2013. In 2019,

835-520: 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,

1002-610: 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

1169-745: 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 ,

1336-520: 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

1503-403: A five-month period between June and mid-November. The 90-piece orchestra recorded 175 minutes of music; however, Abrams reedited 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

1670-609: A former Jedi perceiving chaos in the galaxy. When it became clear the Confederacy had no intention of negotiating, the Republic quickly accepted the Army made for them, and it was dubbed the Grand Army of the Republic. Despite the high quality of its armaments and cloned troops, the Republic's war effort was initially hindered because most of the major industrial companies in the galaxy had, under

1837-550: 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

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2004-535: 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

2171-615: 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

2338-489: 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

2505-403: 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

2672-645: 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 ,

2839-435: 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

3006-736: 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

3173-674: 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

3340-460: 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

3507-463: A wide variety of different local governments along the political spectrum: from monarchies to republics to hive-like communes . When the Republic's power and influence expand, many new areas of the galaxy are incorporated into the Republic. The Core and Colonies are the base of the Galactic Republic. A reorganization of senatorial representation occurs 1,000 years prior to Star Wars during

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3674-431: 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 the Resistance , led by General Leia Organa and veterans of

3841-612: Is at your disposal, Count.' San Hill: 'The Banking Clan will sign your treaty.' Dooku: 'Good, very good. Our friends from the Trade Federation have pledged their support, and when their battle droids are combined with yours, we shall have an army greater than any in the galaxy. The Jedi will be overwhelmed. The Republic will agree to any demands we make.' – Fragment from the Separatist council meeting on Geonosis, portrayed in Attack of

4008-566: Is depicted in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), the first film released in the franchise. Following this event, the conventional notation for standard years is "BBY" (Before the Battle of Yavin) and "ABY" (After the Battle of Yavin). Alternative notations such as "BSW4" ("Before Star Wars Episode 4") and "ASW4" ("After Star Wars Episode 4") may be used. In the Star Wars universe,

4175-540: Is elected from within the Senate for a set term. The Senate gives the Chancellor emergency powers in times of crisis and removes him from office when necessary. The assembly is in turn divided into individual committees, each specializing in specific fields of government administration, and which were responsible for creating legislation to be reviewed by the full assembly. The Senate has some form of judicial power as well, although

4342-490: 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,

4509-456: The Star Wars universe . Among 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

4676-566: The Star Wars Customizable Card Game and Star Wars Trading Card Game , respectively. Michael A. Stackpole and Aaron Allston wrote the X-wing novel series that focuses on the X-wing pilots of Rogue Squadron and Wraith Squadron , the former expanding the story of pilots like Wedge Antilles who appear in the films. Dark Horse Comics has also published an X-Wing Rogue Squadron series. In 2012, Fantasy Flight Games released

4843-593: The Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game featuring several pilots and variations of the ship. The X-wing also included in its Star Wars: Armada miniatures game and Star Wars: Rebellion board game. A model of Luke Skywalker's X-wing was among 250 Star Wars -related items on display at the National Air and Space Museum celebrating the franchise's twentieth anniversary. An original X-wing filming prop sold at auction for $ 160,000 in July 2016. In 2007,

5010-660: The Atari Star Wars game. It is also a playable ship in numerous LucasArts games, and is the eponymous vessel in the first of several space combat simulator games . Both the Rebel Assault and Rebel Assault II rail shooters include X-wing levels, and X-wing squadrons are controllable units in the Rebellion and Empire at War strategy games. Decipher and Wizards of the Coast published X-wing and X-wing-related cards for

5177-412: 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

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5344-564: The Galactic Empire . It is prominently featured in the prequel trilogy of Star Wars films , offering a glimpse into its history and functioning. In the original trilogy , which takes place after the events of the prequels, the Republic is referred to as the Old Republic , suggesting its long-established nature. The Republic is portrayed as a democratic republic that has sustained itself peacefully for over twenty-five thousand years but

5511-471: 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 a seventh entry in the "Skywalker Saga" commenced after

5678-779: The San Diego Tripoli Rocket Association built and launched a 23-foot (7.0 m) X-wing model propelled by four rockets, which disintegrated seconds after liftoff. A life-size X-wing is suspended from the ceiling at the Star Trader gift shop in Disneyland in California, as well as one displayed outdoors by the Star Tours attraction at Disneyland Paris . A life-size X-wing made from Lego blocks appeared in Times Square, and

5845-837: The Solar System is also situated "in the Milky Way 's version of the Unknown Regions", and that even if there are other species in the Milky Way, which may even have established a Star Wars -like Galactic Republic or Empire, the Earth and its human civilization have so far been in uncharted and dangerous hyperspace-travel territory (from that galactic civilization's point of view), and humans themselves are still too technologically limited to make contact with it. Silvio (2007) posits that Star Wars films should be understood as being heavily influenced by

6012-647: 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

6179-525: 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

6346-422: 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

6513-530: 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

6680-581: 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

6847-479: The Battle of Jakku , finally ending Palpatine's reign over the galaxy. In 28 ABY, part of the New Republic, concerned about corruption emerging in the Senate and its unwillingness to see the First Order as a major threat, created the Resistance to fight the First Order. The New Republic is first portrayed onscreen in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), where it is depicted as the ruling government of

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7014-500: The Battle of Endor in 4 ABY. After the fall of the Emperor, remnants of the Empire were ordered to initiate "Operation: Cinder", a contingency plan created by Palpatine to annihilate both its organization, its followers and its enemies as an act of punishment for failing to prevent his demise, including the planets they have controlled. The Rebels however prevented the Empire's self-destruction in

7181-490: The Battle of Exegol, Rey, a reformed Ben Solo and the Resistance have successfully put an end to the First Order, the Sith Eternal , and the resurrected Palpatine, making way for the Republic to be reborn anew. The successor government to the Empire was explored as early as Marvel Comics ' self-titled Star Wars series, which ran until 1986. The New Republic per se debuted in the 1991 Star Wars Legends novel, Heir to

7348-601: The Clone Wars however, the Republic defended itself from Separatist attacks and retaliated with its own assaults, many of which were successful. During the third and final year of the Clone Wars, the Republic won many offensive battles in the Mid Rim and pushed the Separatist forces back to the Outer Rim with its "Outer Rim Sieges" campaign. During the Clone Wars, the Senate increasingly granted enormous amounts of power to Palpatine, who

7515-567: The Clone Wars took place here. A large part of the Outer Rim, including Tatooine was traditionally ruled by the Hutts and therefore called the Hutt Space. As the Republic expanded, it came into contact with the slave empire of Zygerria. Because slavery was disallowed in the Republic, it disliked the Zygerrian Empire, as slavery was central to the Empire's political and economic system; conversely,

7682-691: The Clones Several trade organizations represented in the Senate, such as the Trade Federation and Commerce Guild, kept armies of droids to protect their profits and occasionally took advantage of this, such as when the Trade Federation invaded and occupied Naboo. Individual sectors also maintained their security forces, such as the Naboo Security Force or the CorSec from Corellia , and these were sometimes used to combat small threats. However, there

7849-598: The Empire , by author Timothy Zahn . The Republic begins as a mutual protection and economic alliance among a number of planets in the Core. Each member world or system chooses a Senator to represent them in the Galactic Senate, the main body of the legislative branch of the government. Senators are ambassadors of their homeworlds or systems. Member worlds and systems maintain their governments and societies as long as it does not defy any central and core Republican laws. There are

8016-451: The Empire could react. The presence of a hyperdrive and deflector shields differentiate the X-wing from the Empire's TIE fighters, emphasizing the importance the Rebels place on pilots surviving their missions. Novels and roleplaying material set after Return of the Jedi showed the X-wing continued to be refined and upgraded in service to the New Republic; the "XJ"-series X-wings, depicted in

8183-407: The Empire refused to become part of the Republic. The Republic and Jedi declared war on the Empire and won. The Empire was reduced to a small, harmless alliance on Zygerria. The Sith (which formed in the Republic's early years) return to their original strength and invaded Malachor. The first Sith War began, which led to the demise of the first Republic. The power of the new Sith Empire increased as

8350-519: The Galactic Empire ordered them to produce a new starfighter for the Imperial Navy, Incom engineers took inspiration from their previous work to create the X-wing. Production was already underway however when politicking resulted in the Empire choosing instead to go with Sienar Fleet Systems' TIE fighter . Faced with an overproduction of expensive starfighters, a new market was found when agents of

8517-454: The Jedi believed that Palpatine would not surrender his emergency powers, nor his position (which had long gone over-term) by the end of the war. This suspicion was also shared by some senators, including Padmé Amidala of Naboo, Bail Organa of Alderaan , and Mon Mothma of Chandrila . After the death of Separatist leaders Count Dooku and General Grievous (the Head of State and Commander of

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8684-559: The Jedi in what would later become known as the Great Jedi Purge. The Jedi Padawans remaining on Coruscant were eliminated by Darth Vader , formerly known as Anakin Skywalker, and his personal legion. Before the conclusion of the Clone Wars, Palpatine addressed the Senate. He related the story of an unsuccessful "assassination attempt" on his life by the Jedi. Claiming that it was a "rebellion" and that their next move would be to kill all

8851-608: The Lego Group's annual Christmas gift to employees was a 1,038-piece Christmas X-wing, which also included Yoda's igloo and a sleigh. In addition to the original T-65 X-wing, Lego has released several models of the newer T-70 X-wing. These include the black/orange Poe's X-wing Fighter (2015), the gray/blue Resistance X-wing Fighter (2016) and orange/white Poe Dameron's X-wing Fighter (2020), as well as several small mini-scale versions. X-wings also appear in numerous Star Wars games and Expanded Universe stories. The player pilots an X-wing in

9018-416: The Micro Machines Action Fleet toy line: Luke's starfighter on its own, with "targeter" stand, with Dagobah swamp damage, and in a double pack with a TIE Fighter, Wedge's starfighter on its own, and as a component of the Yavin Rebel Base playset, a toy based on the prototype packaged with Biggs Darklighter's starfighter, and Jek Porkins' starfighter. Lego also released numerous X-wing models, including

9185-415: The New Republic is depicted in The Mandalorian as it sought to wipe out remnants of the Imperial forces and was eventually destroyed by the First Order , under Supreme Leader Snoke 's direction, in Star Wars: The Force Awakens . In the Star Wars chronology, the destruction of the first Death Star during the Battle of Yavin serves as a significant event used to establish the calendar era. The battle

9352-423: The Outer Rim planets, the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS) was formed in 24 BBY: several systems seceded from the Republic and formed a new state, thus triggering the Separatist Crisis. The CIS was ostensibly headed by former Jedi Master Count Dooku (although Palpatine was actually in command of both sides), who gained much popularity among critics of the Republic after his scathing Raxus Address outlining

9519-440: The Queen of Naboo, who feared the possibility of war. But most of the Senate advocated a permanent, official, and central military to oppose the Separatist threat. Supporters of the Act include Orn Free Taa of Ryloth and Ask Aak of Malastare . However, a Clone Army had already been created in secret on the planet Kamino on the edge of the galaxy ten years earlier, commissioned without authorization by Master Sifo-Dyas ,

9686-469: The Rebel Alliance contacted Incom about acquiring their stock of X-wings, to which Incom eagerly agreed. The X-wing quickly became a symbol of the Rebellion thanks to its use in several spectacular victories and the role it played in ultimately defeating the Empire. After the defeat of the Empire, the X-wing starfighters became a staple of the New Republic fleet and later the Resistance , with Incom-FreiTek supplying upgraded T-70 and T-85 models. Compared to

9853-411: The Republic , or the Republic Military to the institution of his personal bodyguard organization, the Red Guard . The Office of the Supreme Chancellor is given power equaling that of the Senate. The Galactic Senate also meets less often, as the Chancellor is voted more emergency powers to act on his own during the time of crisis. Eventually, many Outer Rim planets and companies leave the Republic due to

10020-460: The Republic Senate, which comprised most of the Republic's Legislative Branch and the government itself. It started merely as an economic and protective alliance, mainly among the Core worlds. It eventually expanded to the Colonies and other outlying worlds and regions, becoming a superpower rather than an alliance, and it became the sole superpower in the galaxy. The Core Worlds, such as Coruscant and Alderaan , were notable for their prosperity, which

10187-400: The Republic decreased. The Republic and Jedi forces failed to keep the Empire's Forces out of Republic Space. Soon, the Sith became a second superpower. Around this time, an ancestor of Pre Vizsla stole the Darksaber from the Jedi Temple. Around 1000 years prior to Star Wars , the Dark Age began, and the Old Republic was brought to the brink of collapse, but with the Liberation of Coruscant,

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10354-436: The Republic expanded slowly. The Republic finally took control of the Mid Rim. Power blocs formed out of the Republic, but the Jedi kept order. The Republic became peaceful but corrupt, and a Core-Rim distrust formed. After Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum came to power, a standoff between the Trade Federation and the Republic led to the Invasion of Naboo (32 BBY), depicted in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace . While

10521-408: The Republic flourished, the Empire of Zygerria tried to cause a war, known as the Zygerrian War. However, after a few minor battles, the Zygerrians quickly withdrew their army, since it stood no chance in this war. Count Dooku : 'As I explained to you earlier, I'm quite convinced that 10,000 more systems will rally to our cause with your support, gentlemen.' (...) Wat Tambor: 'The Techno Union army

10688-405: The Republic has a judicial branch, in which the Supreme Court was the main body. The main functions of the Senate are to mediate disputes between members, provide for the common defense, create and pass laws into effect that would benefit most of the Republic, and regulate inter-system trade. The Jedi Order , although technically not officially part of the Republic, are considered the defenders of

10855-400: The Rusaan Reformations, the Republic does not maintain a military except for a small force known as the Judicial Forces. The Jedi with the most authority served on the Jedi High Council, among whom Yoda and Mace Windu act as de facto leaders at the height of the Republic. Although the Senate holds some degree of political authority over the Jedi, very little pressure was ever put on

11022-402: The Ruusan Reformation. The most common organization for these new territories is to group regions into Sectors of about 50 inhabited worlds. Each sector is represented by a Senatorial Delegation. When the number of sectors becomes too large, sectors are organized into roughly a thousand regions, each represented by one delegation to the Senate. The Senate serves as the unicameral main body of

11189-553: The Senate's presiding officer and as the Republic's de facto leader. The Chancellor is assisted by the Vice Chair, who is presumably elected in the same manner as the Chancellor; the same Vice Chair is present throughout the entire prequel trilogy. The Senate follows pseudo- parliamentary rules. Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum was forced out of office by the Senate in a motion of no confidence , introduced by Queen Padmé Amidala of Naboo , for example. Senators receive one vote in all matters, procedural and substantive. The Chancellor

11356-419: The Senators, he declared the Jedi Order to be enemies of the Republic. Palpatine announced that the Galactic Republic should be reorganized into the Galactic Empire, and he should be the emperor for life. Deluded by Palpatine's charisma and skill (and perhaps also by his considerable dark side power), the majority of the Senate cheered him on loudly in approval. The official continuation of the Galactic Republic

11523-436: The Separatist Army, respectively), and the discovery that Palpatine was actually Darth Sidious , the Sith Lord behind the war, the Jedi activated their contingency plans. A small group of experienced Jedi led by Mace Windu attempted to arrest Palpatine for treason. Palpatine killed all but Windu with minimal effort, and engaged Windu in a lightsaber duel. Windu appeared to have won, but was prevented from executing Palpatine by

11690-491: The Sith Empire collapsed first. After the Sith Empire was defeated c. 1032 BBY, the Republic (now known as the Galactic Republic) reformed and became a democracy. It demilitarized at the Ruusan Reformation, shortly after the Seventh Battle of Ruusan. The multimedia project Star Wars: The High Republic depicts the galaxy 200 years before The Phantom Menace . The Republic began to diplomatically influence its neighboring worlds rather than conquer them by force. This meant

11857-660: The T-85 X-wing in the New Republic 's defense fleet. The T-85 X-wing made its first appearance in the TV series Star Wars Resistance (2018). Colin Cantwell sketched and built models that eventually became the final X-wing fighter in Star Wars . The X-wings were designed to appear more "traditional" than the Empire 's TIE fighters . ILM built miniatures in various scales, with wing markings indicating which prop represented which pilot. When ILM fell behind on generating X-wing footage, Star Wars creator/director George Lucas and his editors temporarily used World War II dogfight footage for initial editing cuts. Each X-wing model

12024-530: The TIE fighter, the X-wing is said to be slower and less maneuverable in space, but boasts superior firepower, defenses, atmospheric maneuverability, and a supraluminal hyperdrive . Its four laser canons can be fired singly, in pairs or all at once, and each launcher can carry up to three proton torpedoes . In addition to deflector shields , the X-wing possesses a titanium alloy armored hull, electronic countermeasures , and armored cockpit. An inertial dampener protects

12191-784: 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

12358-518: 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

12525-581: The Vice Chair of the Senate, the Administrative Aide, various Representatives from systems, and to an unofficial extent, the members of the Jedi Council. Jedi Council members hold special status as they appear to have the ability to watch Senate meetings and advise such Senators on various matters. The Jedi order protects these people. While the Republic had an Army and Navy for thousands of years, after

12692-513: 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

12859-413: 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

13026-458: The aegis of the Techno Union, sided with the Confederacy. Eventually, though, the Republic became a humongous superpower not only economically but also militarily. The rapid militarization of the Republic during the Clone Wars, overseen by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, had far-reaching effects. The Confederacy won most battles in the first year of the Clone Wars. During the second and middle year of

13193-529: The amount of corruption and unfair treatment to Outer Rim worlds. Together, they form a rebellion known as the Confederacy of Independent Systems, almost exclusively referred to in the films as the Separatists. Some large industrial companies, including the Trade Federation, side with the Separatists, providing them with their military and its resources. Politicians include Senators, the Supreme Chancellor,

13360-482: 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

13527-806: 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 ,

13694-420: 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

13861-487: The central government of the Republic rather quickly by the expansionist humans from the Core Worlds soon after they acquired the necessary rocket technology for interstellar travel, but there are still large uncharted Unknown Regions which are simply too far from the fashionable Core Worlds to have been fully explored (as exploration of the Unknown Regions is lethally dangerous ), let alone colonized. Thus, it's possible that

14028-472: 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,

14195-558: The company, the designers defected to the Rebel Alliance and handed over the X-wing's schematics. The Rebel Alliance adopted the military strategy of Doctrine of Space Denial , wherein the Rebellion would raid Imperial boneyards and shipping frigates, both to disrupt Imperial logistics and operations, and also to requisition desperately needed materials. X-wing hyperdrive capabilities allowed for this kind of harassment and escape before

14362-400: 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

14529-739: The council before Palpatine took office and demanded that Anakin Skywalker become a member of the Council in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith , despite the misgivings of the Jedi. While the Jedi Council allowed Anakin to sit among them, they did not grant him the rank of Master. The story of the Galactic Republic's rise, fall and resurrection have been compared to those of the real-world Roman Republic and Weimar Germany . The story of its "fall and redemption" has also been compared to that of Anakin Skywalker . Brake and Chase (2016) compared

14696-553: 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

14863-415: 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

15030-448: The deflector shield, shed waste heat, and function as stabilizer surfaces during air travel. Instead of a dedicated navigational system, the X-wing makes use of an astromech droid (such as R2-D2 ) which fits in a socket behind the cockpit. The droid can hold up to 10 hyperspace coordinates, make minor repairs to the craft, and assume full control of the X-wing if needed. As with the pilot's ejection seat , an explosive charge can eject

15197-828: 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

15364-449: 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

15531-406: The droid from the X-wing in an emergency. According to roleplaying and other literature prior to Disney 's acquisition of Lucasfilm , the origin of the X-wing is somewhat different compared to later material. Incom Corporation had already begun designing the X-wing when the Empire's Imperial Security Bureau began to suspect the company of Rebel sympathies. Before the empire could seize control of

15698-619: 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

15865-490: The earliest history of the galaxy before the Republic is not extensively explored. However, it is believed that various species, including humans, evolved in the Core Worlds and eventually became dominant throughout the galaxy. According to the hypothesis, humans are thought to have originated from Coruscant, a central planet in the Star Wars galaxy. From there, they settled in other Core Worlds, such as Alderaan, and eventually expanded their presence to colonize other planets across

16032-457: 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

16199-455: 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

16366-462: 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

16533-402: 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

16700-422: 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

16867-434: 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

17034-434: 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 ,

17201-424: 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

17368-468: 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

17535-545: The first "Galactic Constitution" was signed on Coruscant, after hyperdrive connected many worlds in the Core and enabled the establishment of an interstellar central government. Coruscant became the capital planet of the Old Republic, the Galactic Empire, and the New Republic, and the entire surface evolved into one big city, with skyscrapers reaching more than 5,000 levels. The Republic was made up of several hundred thousand worlds, and each planet or system had representation in

17702-445: The formation of a "galactic civilization." It allowed for interstellar travel and facilitated the establishment of central governments spanning multiple planetary systems, ultimately leading to the rise of the Galactic Republic. According to the large body of films and other fiction that belong to the Star Wars franchise, the Old Republic was formed 25,000 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) when

17869-507: The galaxy and primary target of the First Order , a neo-Imperialist military junta that sought to reclaim the Empire's legacy. 30 years after the events portrayed in Return of the Jedi (1983), the New Republic effectively collapsed when the First Order's planet-converted superweapon, Starkiller Base , destroyed Hosnian Prime and the New Republic fleet and Senate with its phantom energy beam. In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), after

18036-419: The galaxy. According to Smith (1996), the origin of hyperdrive technology in the Star Wars galaxy is uncertain. It is speculated that hyperdrive might have been invented by the humans of the Core Worlds, or it could have been introduced to them by alien traders from the Unknown Regions. Regardless of its origin, there is a consensus that hyperspace travel predated the Republic and played a crucial role in enabling

18203-462: The general Republic. The Republic often orders the Jedi to specific areas that require assistance. In this way, they are eventually the unofficial police force of the Republic. They become representatives of the Senate as well, to some extent. Despite the seemingly organized structure of the Republic, the waning years of the Republic are a time of corruption and great social injustice. The Senate becomes divided between those who genuinely wish to uphold

18370-502: The hypothesized colonization of the Core Worlds by Coruscanti humans to the state of the space colonisation by humans from the Earth , which had taken its first step with NASA 's Apollo program of 1961–1972, just before George Lucas invented Star Wars . They argued that Lucas offered a solution to the Fermi paradox : indeed, most of the Star Wars galaxy was conquered/colonized and submitted to

18537-465: The intervention of Anakin Skywalker , at which point Palpatine killed Windu. At that moment, Skywalker took the title and name of Darth Vader, pledging himself to the dark side as a Lord of the Sith. Shortly afterwards, Palpatine secretly issued "Order 66", compelling the Clone army to exterminate all Jedi. Because of inhibitor chips implanted inside the clones' heads, the clones were forced to kill most of

18704-461: The legislative branch, but has immense power over the entire Galactic Republic. The capital of the Republic, which contains the most political power and wealth, is Coruscant . Inside the Senate Building, there is an area in which the Senate debates, casts votes, and makes or passes bills. It contains 1,024 floating platforms, each of which contain a senator and his or her aides. Each platform in

18871-512: 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

19038-476: 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

19205-452: 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

19372-456: 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

19539-424: The markings on the filming models, as well as the fictional squadron affiliation being changed to red. In addition to miniatures, special effects expert John Stears and his crew made a single, full-size X-wing for scenes in the Rebels' Yavin 4 base hangar; combined with cardboard cutouts and careful editing, the Rebels appear to have dozens of fighters. The production crew also made a full-size X-wing cockpit that

19706-412: 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

19873-517: The movie and "liked it". In 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

20040-501: The music for that scene, wanting to focus on the orchestral score. Abrams then contacted Miranda, and 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

20207-547: 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

20374-671: 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

20541-910: 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

20708-409: 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

20875-694: The original trilogy's Special Edition releases. The ARC-170 starfighter seen in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith is the ancestor of the X-wing and is deliberately reminiscent of the X-wing's design. The T-65B X-wing was produced by the Incom Corporation, which had previously supplied the ARC-170 and Z-95 Headhunter starfighters to the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars . When

21042-454: 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

21209-573: 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

21376-423: The pilot from high-g maneuvers, while an anti-gravity " repulsorlift " provides for flight in planetary atmospheres. The T-65B X-wing's distinctive strike foils or "S-foils" are opened and closed by powerful servo motors in the spacecraft. When in the open or 'attack' position, they provided a greater range of fire to the laser cannons mounted on the end of each wing. They also serve to distribute energy to enlarge

21543-472: The political voice of the emerging Rebel Alliance . During the war, the Empire was supported by the Empire of the Zygerrians, but since they were too weak to make a minor difference, their support to the Galactic Empire is often overseen. The New Republic was a restoration of the Galactic Republic after the Galactic Empire was crushed following Palpatine's death and the destruction of the second Death Star in

21710-537: The problems of the Republic, leading many systems to side with him and form the Confederacy. The Separatists became a huge threat to the Republic after some of the galaxy's mega-corporations allied with the CIS, as they possessed vast resources and private armies of battle droids. A Military Creation Act was proposed in the Republic Senate, strongly opposed by many of the Republic's pacifist leaders, such as Padmé Amidala ,

21877-465: 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

22044-466: 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

22211-417: The senate represents a "sector" of the galaxy. A few platforms represent individual worlds of high importance, or worlds bringing special pleas to the Senate. Some represent special interest groups such as the Trade Federation, and other companies, corporations, and industries. Each senatorial delegation has one vote. The members of the Senate elect a Supreme Chancellor from among their ranks who serves as

22378-482: The short lived Micro Collection line in 1982. The X-wing appeared in four Micro Machines three-packs, including the first Star Wars pack released, a bronzed version, and a pack of three "battle damaged" X-wings with different colored markings. The Micro Machines X-wing has also been released in two single-packs, as a promotional souvenir with German video releases, in a nine-pack of Original Trilogy vehicles, and once in clear plastic. The X-wing appears eight times in

22545-568: The starfighter sitting in the lake at an angle. The rig was built in hinged sections so it could be manipulated by frogmen to sink or rise, a key feature for the scene when Luke fails to levitate his ship from the water. In 1993, ILM visual effects specialist John Knoll created a proof of concept test of dogfighting X-wings and TIE fighters to demonstrate the feasibility of using commercially available desktop computer software for simple animation work. This resulted in numerous parts of space battle scenes being "re-shot" as digital animations for

22712-512: 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

22879-487: 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

23046-539: The time in which they were created. The prequel trilogy where the Galactic Republic was first depicted was influenced by the presidency of George W. Bush , including the war on terror , the Iraq War , and the increased U.S. security apparatus with the Patriot Act . Anakin Skywalker's line "If you're not with me, then you're my enemy" is an echo of Bush's war on terror dichotomy that "Either you are with us, or you are with

23213-454: The values and ideals of the Republic and those who wish to further their own goals. Following a series of weak and ineffectual Chancellors, there is a crisis involving the invasion of Naboo by the Trade Federation over a tariff passed by the Senate. After Senator Palpatine of Naboo becomes Chancellor, he increases the power of the office, from acting as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of

23380-473: The war against the Yuuzhan Vong , have a third proton torpedo launcher, stronger lasers and improved engines. Kenner Toys produced an X-wing toy as a complement to its action figure line in 1978; this model was made from formed plastic and had a battery-operated light and buzzer in the forward fuselage. The "s-foils" were activated by depressing the molded astromech droid. In 1982, a "battle-damaged" version

23547-422: 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

23714-478: Was "very torn" about having sold 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

23881-466: 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

24048-568: 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

24215-470: 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

24382-467: Was built around a hollow core made from surgical tubing, which allowed lighting, cooling, and electrical connectors for the wing motors to be installed and maintained. The cockpit windows were made from faceted glass so that accurate reflections could be filmed. Although the movie's initial script and novelization describe the X-wings as belonging to "Blue squadron", limitations in bluescreen photography led to

24549-486: Was completed on November 14, 2015. The film's soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records on December 18, 2015. Williams' score 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

24716-408: 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

24883-429: 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

25050-613: 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

25217-410: 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 ,

25384-627: Was later matched by the Colonies, while the Inner Rim and Expansion Region were a bit less secure and wealthy; the Mid Rim was an unsafe region that saw much of the fighting Galactic Civil War on planets such as Naboo and Kashyyyk , as it was far from the Republic's military concentrated in the Core. The Outer Rim was the most unsafe place in the galaxy, where neither the Republic nor the Empire ever gained much de facto hold, leading to lawlessness, widespread violence, and crime syndicates; many key battles of

25551-468: Was more aerodynamically sound with a rating of 0.24, but still fell short of the F-4E Phantom with its 0.02 drag coefficient. These poor results were rationalized with the in-universe explanations that drag coefficient plays no role in space travel, and that Star Wars fighters can use repulsorlifts and deflector shields to give themselves better flight profiles. In 2016, Hot Wheels once again created

25718-492: 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

25885-412: Was no centralized and official military of the Republic. The Trade Federation and other cartels within the Republic desired that the Republic government lack significant central military power so that it could not enforce any legal regulations on their business. Dissatisfied with several problems in the Republic, such as ineffectual government, heavy taxes, and perceived favoritism of the Core Worlds over

26052-411: 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. New Republic (Star Wars) Supreme Chancellor (executive) Clone Army The Galactic Republic , commonly known as The Republic , is a fictional political entity in the Star Wars universe that predates the formation of

26219-496: 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

26386-486: 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

26553-421: 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

26720-537: Was released using the same mold but with damage stickers, a grey fuselage, blackened engine inlets, and a darker canopy. In countries outside the U.S., the electronics were removed and the R2-D2 “button” was chrome (apart from the U.S., the electronic X-wing was only available in Brazil, Canada, and France). Kenner also produced a die-cast 1:72 miniature X-wing in 1978 and a smaller scaled version with "battle damage crash feature" for

26887-441: 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

27054-449: Was screened in selected cinemas across 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

27221-464: 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

27388-493: Was the Commander-in-Chief . Such actions were deemed justified in the name of security and were considered a perfectly reasonable way to increase the wartime government's efficiency. Eventually, Palpatine and his office gained enough political power to equal the Senate. Tension between Palpatine and the Jedi grew as the war progressed. Many members of the Jedi Council remained skeptical of Palpatine's growing power. In time,

27555-593: Was the Galactic Empire . As the Clone Wars entered their final year, Palpatine's once near-unanimous support had begun to falter. As depicted in the Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith novelization and deleted scenes from the film itself, a bloc of senators began to emerge, even before the Clone Wars end, who opposed Palpatine's authoritarian rule and resented his treatment of the Jedi and other opponents. This bloc, originally led by influential politicians such as Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, and later by Bail's adopted daughter Princess Leia Organa , eventually became

27722-585: Was tied up in layers of bureaucracy . It was mainly overseen by the Galactic Senate, the Republic's legislative branch . It was protected by the Jedi Order , the Guardians of peace and justice throughout the Star Wars galaxy. After the end of the Galactic Empire, the New Republic was founded. It was enforced by the original Rebel Alliance , eventually known as the New Republic Military. The consolidation of

27889-470: Was used for all actors; the astromech droid visible behind each actor was changed for each starfighter. Background noise pitch and tone also varied between X-wings to further differentiate the characters piloting them. The "lake" in which Luke Skywalker ( Mark Hamill ) crashes his X-wing in The Empire Strikes Back was only 3.5 feet (1.1 m) deep, requiring the creation of a rig resembling

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