Though Star Wars: The Force Awakens didn’t bring another trailer to Comic-Con, as many had suspected it might despite confirmations to the contrary, Hall H attendees last night were instead treated to an almost four-minute behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming blockbuster by by director J.J. Abrams, producer and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and writer Lawrence Kasdan.
Packed with emotion, giddy enthusiasm and nostalgia for the beloved franchise, the reel gave fans a cathartic moment, fully communicating that the cast and crew of the seventh Stat Wars installment are acutely aware of how much fans are trusting them to do right by the galaxy far, far away.
Abrams, Kennedy and Kasdan were joined on stage by the new generation of Star Wars players, including Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Gwendoline Christie, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford.
And in a perfect touch, Abrams concluded the Hall H presentation (the contents of which we’ll be talking about at length on the site today) by inviting the entire Hall H audience of more than 6,000 fans to follow them outside for a surprise Star Wars Fan Concert. Last night, the San Diego Symphony performed John Williams’ Star Wars score at the Embarcadero Marina Park South.
Judging by the warm welcome that the film received at Comic-Con despite not bringing much flashy material to the event, I’d say that those swirling predictions about the franchise restarter breaking box office records to become the highest-grossing film of all time may not be entirely off-base. The movie is such a cultural event for multiple generations of moviegoers, and Lucasfilm and Disney have latched onto the nostalgia angle so successfully that there won’t be more than a handful of Star Wars fans the world over who aren’t crowding into theaters for a midnight screening.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens December 18th this year.
