The new trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens has dropped!
The second official teaser for the JJ Abrams directed episode 7 in the franchise about the galaxy far, far away debuted at the Star Wars Celebration convention in the US overnight before being released online. Watch it now (above).
The imagery in this new Star Wars trailer is grander in scope than the first teaser, giving us a better glimpse at the visual style of the film, with some familiar themes to tie the new movie to its classic predecessors.
If, like me, you couldn’t help yourself and took a sneeky-peek at the leaked artwork some months ago (My name is Bryce and I am a Star Wars tragic; but I have been spoiler free now for 20 weeks!) then there isn’t a whole lot new in this except to see those early concept drawings brought to life in spectacular style… which is enough to be totally awesome! And there’s still plenty to speculate endlessly about.
We see a speeder dashing across a familiar desert landscape – yes it’s probably Tatooine, but would that just be too obvious? (UPDATE: JJ revealed to the convention that the planet is NOT Tatooine, rather a new one called Jakku. We are left to ponder if it is a mono-environment world like every planet in George Lucas’s universe) – strewn with the wreckage of a classic Imperial Star Destroyer and Rebel X-wing fighter. Out with the old, then. Actually, is that all CGI or has JJ gone for some retro matte painting?
Oh yeah! The melted yet still familiar mask of everyone’s favourite Sith lord, Darth Vader. Did he just get even nastier? Now THAT’s a Star Wars collectable!
We get Luke Skywalker explaining how The Force runs in his family; his father has it (above), he has it (as we see a robotic hand stroke R2-D2), his sister has it (as we see a lightsaber passed), and suprise, suprise… someone else has it too! The Jedi weapon appears to be the one Luke lost along with his hand in Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back… which of course is the same one that belonged to his father Anakin Skywalker before the Chosen One’s monumental carve up in Episode 3, and was passed to Luke by Obi-wan Kenobi in Episode 4. Is that the new generation accepting the torch? Or is it perhaps an older, ‘royal’ hand receiving it back into the Skywalker fold? Either way; how long before it gets the chop, then? That lightsaber has a bad track record. [Warning: This voiceover may have been directly lifted from Return of the Jedi]
Lookout! It’s a shiny new army of grinning stormtroopers with slick, black-trim TIE fighters (so sweet) and some nice new Nazi-esque branding, all on a very Hothish snow-covered terrain. Who’s that in black, on the dais?
And the face (well, mask) of new villain Kylo Ren is revealed. Looks like he’s chucking some serious Dark Side around.
Ah yes; the only new main character to make their on-screen debut in this 2nd Force Awakens trailer – the mysterious, and seriously kick-ass, chrome-trooper previously seen in the leaked artwork. Reportedly called Captain Phasma, but we hope not. The caped chrome-dome appears to enjoy hanging out in places tastefully decorated to vintage Empire chic. He (or she?) is just a bit Boba Fett-esque, don’t you think? Do they hunt bounties? Do they have a Kiwi accent, bro?
Oh and the TIE fighter pilot – always one of my favourites – has had a bit of a make over too, and looks as badass as ever.
And the money shot. We welcome back the best buddies in the universe, Han and Chewie are home!
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is due for release in December 2015, and yes I have a great feeling about this. In JJ we trust.
Also see: Star Wars Down Under film: Strewth, the Force is strong with this one