First Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer Teases Something Special

As promised, the very first trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens has arrived online, courtesy of iTunes.

Over the past few months, our collective appetite for new information has been sated with leaked photos from the film’s Abu Dhabi set, coupled with the bird’s-eye shots revealing the Millennium Falcon and some X-Wing fighters — but today, we’ve finally been treated with our first official look at J.J. Abrams’ upcoming trip to a galaxy far, far away. And boy, it’s a doozy.

Packing practical effects, a wonderful, awe-inspiring shot of the Millennium Falcon and a true Star Wars feel that we haven’t experienced in a long time, the first clip from J.J. Abrams’ opus will surely spark up conversations between ardent fans of the franchise for days and weeks to come as they pour over each and every frame.

Contrary to previous reports, there was no footage of Han Solo, Princess Lea or Luke Skywalker; rather, the clip focused on some of the new recruits, including Oscar Isaac’s X-Wing pilot and Daisy Ridley. Heck, we even see a redesigned evil lightsaber that is reminiscent of a sword from medieval times. But undoubtedly, the money shot is the Falcon, soaring above an arid desert environment against the instantly recognizable score from John Williams. The force has awoken indeed.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens will launch into theaters on December 18, 2015. Newcomers Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Lupita Nyong’o, Daisy Ridley, Domhnall Gleeson, Warwick Davis and Game of Thrones‘ Gwendoline Christie are set to be joined by Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill, who will reprise their roles as Han Solo, Princess Lea and Luke Skywalker, respectively.

Let us know your own thoughts on the tantalizing teaser in the comments section, and check out a gallery of high-res screenshots from the trailer below.