The time has come. Disney and Lucasfilm have released the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer for director J.J. Abrams’ upcoming sequel. The film takes place 30 years after the events of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and introduces new characters played by John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, and Oscar Isaac alongside the return of Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher.

What I love about this teaser trailer (and Abrams made sure to stress that this is still considered a teaser) is that it really feels like a throwback, right down to the "This Christmas" tagline. There's a wonderful intensity to it, as well as a delight to seeing the return of a couple OT characters paired with Mark Hamill's ominous voiceover. And that imagery--the warped Vader mask, the downed Empire ship, Kylo Ren's intimidating costume. It's all perfectly tuned, and this is coming from someone who isn't even that big of a Star Wars fan. In an age where every month a studio is touting a new film as "The Can't-Miss Event of the Year!", The Force Awakens is the real deal. Abrams makes it feel like a genuine, shared event that the world will come together to experience this Christmas. And that's pretty neat.

Watch the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer below, click here for 17 things we learned from the Celebration panel, and click here to see the first poster. The film also stars Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Gwendoline Christie, Crystal Clarke, Pip Anders, Warwick Davis, Peter Mayhew, Kenny Baker, and Max von Sydow. Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens on December 18th.


For more from today's Star Wars Celebration, click on the links below:

Peruse our recent Star Wars coverage below:

Here’s the official rundown for Star Wars: The Force Awakens:

Star Wars: The Force Awakens, opens in theaters December 18, 2015. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan & Abrams, and features a cast including actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, Crystal Clarke, Pip Andersen, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow. They will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker. The film is being produced by Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk, and John Williams returns as the composer. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is Episode VII in the Star Wars Saga.

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