UPDATE: It’s come to our attention that this image is fan-made.
Original Story: Ready for your daily helping of hype ahead of Star Wars: The Force Awakens? Barely twenty-four hours have passed since a bunch of promotional artwork appeared online and Comic Book Movie has unearthed the new international poster for the sci-fi sequel, spotlighting the Dark Side in all of its menacing glory.
Fresh off their Empire shoot, the one-sheet is headlined by the film’s villainous trifecta: Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, Gwendoline Christie’s Captain Phasma and Domhnall Gleeson as the pensive, power-mongering General Hux. Sporting the by-now infamous cross-guard Lightsaber, Kylo Ren leads a vast army of Stormtroopers, Imperial soldiers and, if you squint real hard, scores of TIE Fighters, too.
In essence, this is the First Order in all of their mighty glory. Director J.J. Abrams has merely hinted at the origins of the galaxy’s new-fangled menace, with clips teasing that Darth Vader – or at least his lasting legacy – has spurred a new frontier in all things evil. What we do know is that Driver’s Kylo Ren is not, in fact, a Sith Lord; instead, he’s a powerful knight who operates under the ruling of Andy Serkis’ Supreme Leader Snoke. There’s been nary a mention or image that reveals Snoke up until now, and given that Serkis’ big bad will be brought to life using CGI, it’s hardly surprising that Abrams and Co. have kept the villain under wraps.
Born from the ashes of the Galactic Empire, Star Wars: The Force Awakens will focus on The Resistance’s plight to overthrow the First Order. It certainly won’t be easy, given that Ren towers over an army on the level of those found in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. How this clash affects the larger Star Wars universe will ultimately be told in due time.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens will arrive in theaters on December 18.
